Geras Chapter 15: The Call of the Dreaming One

Zoe stood looking at a small interrogation room through one-way glass. Haze the changeling was cuffed to a heavy metal table and his chalk white skin glowed from the soft light of runes inscribed in the floor. His lips were curled into an arrogant smirk, and his body was otherwise unmoving. Even knowing that he couldn’t see her, Zoe couldn’t help but shiver as his white, pupil-less eyes seemed to follow her behind the glass.

After a few more moments, the interrogation room door opened and in stepped a bald, tan man wearing welding goggles with a small, purple crystal embedded in his forehead.

“I can feel it. He’s letting the enchantment spell in. He won’t be able to lie,” reported Hyazinth, who was standing next to Zoe. The old orc coughed into his hand and leaned on his cane. “We’re not out of the woods yet, though. It could be that the slimeball thinks that he can talk around truths with wit. If anyone can get the truth though, it’s Zuri. He has his own surprise cards to play.”

Zuri, the bald man with welding goggles, pulled out the chair across from Haze and took a seat. Haze’s eyes stayed on Zoe. Zuri opened up a folder and read from it aloud. “Harley Zemman, street name Haze. Your file sure does tell an interesting story.”

Haze’s malicious smile widened. His stare did not waver. “Oh do tell.”

“According to this, you began serving in Truwell’s military in 1007AR at the age of eighteen, and were recruited by King Bernard’s Daggercloak Corps to be trained in covert intelligence two years later. You were in the middle of an assignment in Cyrrica during the Day of Mists, and have been MIA ever since.” Zuri slammed the folder shut and slid it to the side. “So fill in the blanks for me. How does a decorated patriot become a small-time drug peddler?”

For the first time since Zoe arrived, Haze turned his gaze and met Zuri’s eyes. “I’ll tell you how. What we perceive is but a shadow of reality, a cruel satire that corrodes our minds. I now see the stage for what it truly is.” Haze started laughing louder and louder, tripping over his own words as he talked. “The Dreaming One guides me now. The Dreaming One shall awaken, and we’ll be reminded of our rightful place! The Dreaming One shall awaken, and we’ll be reminded of our rightful place!”

“The Dreaming One…” Zuri slowly repeated back to Haze. “Who is this ‘Dreaming One’?”

Haze’s attention shifted again, this time meeting Zoe’s eyes instantly as if the one-way glass weren’t there. “She’ll know soon enough.”

* * *

There were no further developments in Haze’s interrogation after that. The changeling continued to mutter about a “Dreaming One” and that everyone would “be reminded of their rightful place” over and over again. Zoe left the observation room both frustrated and a bit chilled by the exchange. Waiting for her was another Lantern agent, although one that seemed like just a messenger. The gnome handed her a familiar envelope with the Swiftguard’s emblem on it, a winged boot imposed on a shield. It was another assignment. Zoe wasn’t sure if the timing was fortuitous or not. On the one hand, it would give her a break from Haze. On the other, she wasn’t sure if it was appropriate to get sidetracked.

* * *

When Zoe arrived at Brogmir's office in the Swiftguard Barracks, Caelynn and Shadow were already there waiting for her. Caelynn was sitting in one of the few chairs in the cramped office while Shadow was standing in a corner with his arms crossed and his tail swishing. Brogmir the minotaur futilely attempted to balance on his office chair two sizes too small for him while trying to clean his glasses with a cloth. As Zoe entered, Brogmir huffed a jet of steam from his bovine nose, and his glasses instantly fogged up again.

“Damn it,” Brogmir muttered. “Anyways, thanks for being here on such short notice, Mizonouta.”

Zoe floated to the other open chair in a daze, with only a weak nod to acknowledge the others. Her eyes were glazed over and her arms were wrapped tightly around her stomach.

“I know each of you has been through the wringer in one way or another recently, but I need operatives I can count on for this next assignment,” Brogmir explained. “The job is delicate. We’ve been asked by one of the kenku caravans to aid them in a diplomatic exchange. Apparently, they were traveling through Rumukhan when they were attacked by a goblin patrol squad. Some of them were supposedly captured and are being detained by the Rumukhanians. They’ve hired us to negotiate their friends’ release.”

“What were they doing traveling through Rumukhan anyway?” Caelynn asked. “As nomads, they should know how territorial the Rumukhanians are.”

Brogmir shrugged. “It’s a good question, one that I encourage you to ask them when you meet with them outside Kolvik.”

“Are they going to trust us?” Caelynn asked. “In my understanding, kenku are quite wary of outsiders.”

Zoe momentarily shook herself out of her daze. “I’m guessing I’m assigned to this because I’ve dealt with them before?” she asked Brogmir.

The minotaur nodded. “Yes, although that job had far less serious stakes. Which is why we’re bringing in a consultant.”

As Brogmir said that, the door opened softly and the jingle-jangle of metal plates and chains rang throughout the room.

“Ah, perfect timing!” Brogmir exclaimed.

A mottled, aging kenku stepped into the office, glancing around with eyes glazed in milky white. The kenku were a crow folk with large, black beaks and thin limbs. Their hands and feet ended in bird-like talons, but unlike other aven-folk, they lacked wings. This one had gaps in his feathers, with some plucked and seemingly cut. Battle-scarred heavy armor was sliced and cracked, a sharp contrast to the fine, curved greatsword wrapping his hips.

“This is Copper Coinsword,” Brogmir said, introducing the kenku warrior. “Like you said Caelynn, the caravan is more likely to trust one of their own.”

“Hello Copper. Nice to meet you,” said Caelynn.

Shadow came out of the corner of the office and held out his fist to Copper. The kenku in turn supplied Shadow with a gentle, albeit awkward fist bump.

“So the caravan is waiting for us outside Kolvik, right?” Shadow turned to Brogmir to confirm.

Brogmir nodded. “Correct. You’re to leave as soon as you’re ready.”

“Nice. Well I’m starving! Come on, Copper. Let me show you to the kitchen!” Shadow said cheerfully, grabbing the kenku’s hand and dragging him away. Copper reluctantly followed suit.

Caelynn was the next to leave. She turned to Zoe and said, “I’m going to Sammy to request the use of some Winterland gems. My amulet will keep me safe from the cold, but I think it’ll be helpful for the rest of you to have some protection in case we get caught in a snowstorm.”

Zoe nodded in appreciation, but when she stood to follow Caelynn, Brogmir said, “Zoe, can you stay for a moment?”

Zoe shut the door behind Caelynn and turned to Brogmir, who pulled out a cigar from his desk drawer. He pulled out a lighter from his pocket, and Zoe could see the clear relief of the Lanterns’ symbol in it. Brogmir took a puff of smoke, and without making eye contact with Zoe said, “So, Hyazinth tells me that you haven't been yourself since Raphael returned home. I’m all ears if you want to talk about it.”

Brogmir’s bovine ears flapped up and down as he waited in silence for Zoe’s response. After a few moments, Zoe replied, “There’s nothing to talk about,” with a neutral tone.

Brogmir’s eyes narrowed and he smiled nostalgically. “That’s something I’ve heard time and time again from young agents. I won’t pry, but I just want to let you know that you’re not alone. I know what it’s like to mourn a mentor.”

Zoe crossed her arms, listening.

“Raph has been around longer than any of us. He just needs time to create another vessel before he returns. I’m sure you’ll meet him again.”

“It doesn’t really change anything. He still left,” Zoe said, a sliver of pain sliding through her practiced, neutral tone. “It’s okay though. Really. I’m...” she paused to search for the words. “I’m working through it. Right now, I’m more unsettled by this thing with Haze. The interrogation was...odd.”

“Enough Vision will do that to you,” Brogmir replied. “You saw it yourself in the swamp with that berserker. His mind wasn’t right in the end.”

Zoe looked skeptical. “It seemed like more than that. All of that incoherent babbling seemed to have a ring of truth to it. Who is the Dreaming One, and what do the Lanterns know about Cyrrica?” She glanced knowingly at the lighter than Brogmir still held in his hand.

Brogmir sighed, another puff of smoke coming out of his nostrils. “The Dreaming One...doesn’t quite ring a bell. As for Cyrrica...we’ll let you know when we do. You’d actually know more than anyone, having actually been there and survived to tell the tale. All we know is that the Mists both muddle the mind and can make abominations out of anything remotely considered living.”

Zoe nodded. “Thank you, sir.” She bowed respectfully before exiting his office.

* * *

The four operatives made their way to the bustling spark rail station to proceed to Kolvik. When they got to the platform, Caelynn, Shadow, and Zoe quickly flashed their metal Swiftguard badges while Copper had to present a pathetic, temporary paper badge. As he boarded behind Shadow, the tabaxi turned back to him and said, “Hey, if you join the Swiftguard for the long term they’ll give you one of your own.”

Copper chuckled in response.

As they boarded, Zoe immediately split off toward the train car with the Swiftguard’s reserved bunks. Copper found an empty booth out of the way, and Caelynn and Shadow joined him on the opposite side. The kenku laid out pieces of metal and small links of chains on the table.

“Whatcha doing?” Shadow asked.

Copper pulled out a small hammer from his traveling pack. He closed his eyes in concentration.

“You don’t talk much, do you?” Shadow continued.

“Some kenku have a hard time,” Caelynn said, whispering in Shadow’s ear. “It’s pretty common for older kenku to lose their ability to speak later in life. There’s a disease that degenerates their vocal cords over time.”

“Geez,” Shadow said without Caelynn’s tact. “I can’t imagine not being able to talk.”

Copper’s eyes opened suddenly, and the hammer flared with white light. The hammer fell in the center of the laid out metal pieces, and as it hit the table, a poof of smoke billowed out. As Caelynn and Shadow waved away the smoke, they could hear Copper chuckle again. With the smoke dissipated, they saw Copper holding a Swiftguard badge just like Caelynn and Shadow’s.

“Woah! It’s identical!” Shadow exclaimed in awe as his eyes darted from his badge to Copper’s.

Copper shook his head with a derisive smile and balled up the temporary badge he was given. He tossed it over his shoulder into a trash can behind him.

“That’s pretty impressive,” Caelynn said, smiling genuinely.

Copper then pointed at Shadow’s rapier, which was resting at the tabaxi’s side in the booth. Shadow put it on the table next, and Copper slid the blade out of its sheath. He nodded, impressed. He then closed his eyes again, concentrating the same kind of magic in his hammer. With another tap and cloud of smoke, Shadow held his rapier up to the light of the window. At a glance, the weapon didn’t look too different, but there was a faint aura around it. The weapon just looked sharper.

“Thank you…” Shadow said.

As Caelynn’s eyes ran up and down the blade of Shadow’s rapier, her eyes were pulled to the pommel of Copper’s sword. Stamped on it like a wax seal was the symbol of an anvil with a mote of flame above it. The symbol had a fading glow to it, as if magic had been channeled through it.

“The symbol of Moradin,” Caelynn said aloud. “Are you a follower?”

Copper nodded.

“Our friend Gowron has mentioned Moradin,” Shadow said, his fingers rubbing his chin. “I bet he could talk your ear off about it. You wouldn’t even have to worry about getting a word in edgewise!”

* * *

The trip from Rand to Kolvik was about twelve hours, and the Swiftguard operatives knew they’d be on the train overnight. As the sun began to set, Caelynn decided to check in on Zoe before Shadow and Copper turned in for the night. When Caelynn entered the reserved car, she saw that Zoe’s bunk had the curtain drawn, but there was a faint glow on the other side. Without opening the curtain, Caelynn asked, “Hey Zoe. How are you doing?”

It was a simple question that was asked with concern and care. Caelynn heard a book snap shut before being shoved into a bag. Zoe opened the curtain a few inches and looked out with slightly bloodshot eyes.

“I’m alright,” Zoe answered. “Tired of people asking me that.” She shook her head apologetically. “Not you. I mean, I don’t mind that you asked.” Zoe gave Caeylnn a slight but genuine smile.

Caelynn smiled back and nodded understandingly. As she hopped into the bunk across from Zoe, she said, “I get it. I shouldn’t have asked. Just want you to know that you’ve got friends who want to make sure you’re alright. I can’t imagine how you’re feeling. If you want to talk...or not.”

“Thank you, but you don’t need to worry about me. I can take care of myself. Really. I'll be alright.” Caelynn laid back and waited to see if Zoe would continue. The only sound from Zoe’s bunk was the sound of a pencil scratching.

* * *

When the Swiftguard party awoke, they were greeted with the sight of snow-capped mountains and snow drifts swirling alongside the speeding spark rail. In the distance, Shadow could see the familiar silhouette of the orc city of Kolvik.

“You’ve been here before, right?” Caelynn asked Shadow.

The tabaxi nodded confidently. “Last time was with Fenix and Aza. They don’t let non-orcs into the city, so I had to stay at the guest inn. I’ll show you where it is.”

The spark rail screeched to a halt, and Shadow led the other three from the platform to the nearby inn. Shadow recognized one of the plate-mail wearing orc guards, and gave a confident nod. The orc returned the gesture.

Despite being commissioned by the orc people, the inn was just like any other found in Truwell due to it being constructed by Gabrielle Corp. Around the front desk was a tavern area, and a handful of kenku brought their attention to the newcomers.

Before the others could act, Copper flashed his Swiftguard badge and the halfling behind the front desk said, “Oh! You must be here for the caravan. Go right in!”

Shadow gave Copper a thumbs up, and the kenku warrior shook his head. As they approached the eager kenku, the eldest of the caravan stepped forward. He had an amulet that wrapped around his head, and a small jewel that pressed into his brow. He coughed as he tried to introduce himself, and what came out was, “Squawk!...My name is Carver, the Elder of this caravan. Thank you for coming all the way out this way. Squawk!”

The squawks came out like hiccups. Copper stepped forward and motioned for the others to take a seat at a table while he motioned for Carver to follow him to the bar. He tapped the bar, and mimed for the halfling bartender to bring them both tea.

“Squawk!” Carver replied as he cleared his throat. In as hushed a tone as he could muster, he said, “You look like a fellow elder as well. How’s your throat?”

Copper locked eyes with Carver and gestured to his throat. He shook his head. The bartender set two saucers down and carefully set down tea cups with hot tea inside.

“Enjoy,” said the bartender with a surprisingly deep voice.

Copper took a sip, and with a quiet, rough voice said, “What can you tell us about what happened?”

“We were traveling from Graanzar through Jorunfell to get back home to Dromir,” Carver explained, squawking every now and then. “We have an understanding with the Rumukhanians to use a prescribed route through a verification checkpoint. We went through the checkpoint like we always do, and had our passports ready. Everything seemed fine, but about an hour after we went through the checkpoint, a patrol squadron ambushed us. It all happened so fast...I’m still not sure about everything that happened. All we know is that three of ours disappeared, presumably captured. We managed to escape and make it here to Kolvik. We’re so lucky. I guess there’s some Kolvikan noble here...Fennik? Phoenix? Odd name for an orc. Sounds aarakocran to me. Anyways, he was leaving the city when he passed us, and he said he’d help. I guess some big shot in the Kolvikan guard set up a meeting with us and the Rumukhanians to straighten this out. But we already trusted them once. Now we need help.”

“Any goods stolen?” Copper asked, taking another drink.

“They took nothing but our fellows. I...can’t imagine what they're going through now.” Carver’s body hunched in.

“You did what you could. Now we’ll do what we can,” Copper said gruffly, yet comfortingly.

“There was something weird about them…” Carver continued. “They looked just like Rumukhanian goblins, but they spoke some strange language I’d never heard before.”

Both Caelynn and Zoe reached for spell gems that gave off a manila light. They listened carefully as Carver immaculately mimicked the phrase he heard the assailants say.

THE DREAMING ONE WAITS BENEATH…THE DREAMING ONE WAITS BENEATH…THE DREAMING ONE…

The voice pounding in Caelynn and Zoe’s minds was utterly alien, and sounded as if it was the backdrop to a mass of slurping tentacles. Caelynn quickly let go of the spell gem, and Zoe reached for her head and swore under her breath.

“Pthlegnaglui…” Shadow repeated, trying to replicate the incomprehensible noises Carver was making.

“Stop it!” Caelynn said, smacking the back of Shadow’s head.

“Ow!” Shadow yipped, momentarily offended before seeing that a drip of blood was trailing from Zoe’s nose.

Caelynn held her palm, glowing with healing magic, to the side of Zoe’s temple. “Son of a bitch,” Zoe muttered.

“Are you okay?” Caelynn asked.

“No,” Zoe answered honestly. “Remember Erdil, the tentacle face guy from the factory? The Lanterns recently captured one of his lieutenants. I saw the interrogation. Dude was nuts. He kept going on about some ‘Dreaming One’.”

“Do you think Erdil is behind this?” Shadow asked with a serious tone. “Because I have an eye to get. Someone wants a matching set.”

“Maybe. I don’t know yet,” Zoe replied. She turned to Carver and asked, “Was that all he said? Was there more?” She winced, waiting for another incantation to hit her.

Carver shook his head. “No...I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would do that.”

“It’s fine. What are our next steps?” Zoe asked.

“The meeting with the Rumukhanian diplomats is scheduled two days from now at the Open Hand Monastery. We’re ready to leave whenever you’re ready,” Carver explained.

Shadow looked toward Caelynn. “Open Hand Monastery?”

“It’s a neutral zone in Jorunfell,” Caelynn explained. “They teach martial arts there. Kolvik and Rumukhan aren’t on the best of terms, so the Monastery often acts as a meeting ground of political summits between the two.”

“Martial arts, huh?” Shadow echoed, intrigued.

* * *

The kenku collected their horses and carriages from the stables next to the inn. The kenku horses were wearing a kind of coat that helped insulate them from the biting cold. Zoe, Shadow, and Copper were protected by the glow of an ice blue spell gem each of them had. Caelynn seemed completely unaffected by the snow, stepping on it as if it were solid ground. Outlined by the snow drifts, Shadow could see two invisible butterfly wings coming out of Caelynn’s back. He guessed it had to do with the magic of her Winter Knight’s amulet.

After the first day of travel, the caravan found an out of the way cave to spend the night. Carver snapped his fingers to magically ignite some spare wood kept in one of the carriages, and everyone took a seat around the campfire.

Once they settled in, Caelynn asked, “If Erdil is behind this, what would he want with the kenku? Do you think he was controlling the goblins or they were working for him?”

“My guess is some sick experiment,” Shadow said with a look of disgust on his face. “He likes to mess with people’s minds.”

Shadow looked up and saw that the other kenku looked scared and worried, so he quickly said, “We’ve dealt with him before though. Your friends will be fine. After all, we have two well-trained healers on our side too.”

Shadow looked at Zoe, but saw that she was already asleep.

* * *

In the morning, Zoe awoke to the sound of a whetstone sharpening a blade. She opened her eyes toward the source of the sound, and saw Copper tending to his sword. It gave off the familiar radiance of faith magic.

“Where did you learn that?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

Copper stopped and tossed her a leather-bound journal. On the cover was an etching of the symbol of Moradin, the same as his sword’s pommel. Inside were records of daily practices and designs.

“You completely reforge your sword every morning?” Zoe asked.

Copper nodded, and continued sharpening the sword with the whetstone.

“But who taught you?”

Copper stopped again, and in his rough voice said, “Dwarven merchant’s son.”

“Oh…” she said, sounding disappointed by the answer. “Do you have any feathers?” She stopped awkwardly realizing she had just asked that to a bird-folk. “I mean, um, white feathers?”

Copper checked his body. Some had a fading color, but he wasn’t sure that’s what she was looking for.

“Nevermind,” she said, retreating back into her own thoughts.

* * *

Although the rest of the journey to the monastery was difficult, the caravan ran into no problems along the way. Eventually, as they rounded a corner, the caravan members saw their destination. Nestled into the mountain was the monastery, with sharp points in the roof and a massive yin and yang painted onto the front gate. As they approached it, they saw that standing guard was a single eidolon with a slight frame wearing orange and yellow monk’s robes.

“Welcome to the Open Hand Monastery,” it greeted with a robotic, male voice. “We are welcoming of all outsiders, but we first request that you state your business.”

Carver stepped forward and said, “Um...hello. We’re here to meet with a delegation from Rumukhan.”

“Delightful. We’ve been expecting you,” replied the eidolon. One of its hands pressed a button on its opposite forearm, and the gates slid open. Inside was a beautiful inner sanctuary teeming with the warmth of plant life. “Please enter quickly. The cold isn’t good for the plants.”

The caravan followed suit and hurried inside. Meandering around the inside of the monastery were monks of various species and backgrounds, with no two looking alike. Two monks stepped forward and gently took the tired horses to stables inside the massive building, and most of the kenku moved to a resting area. Carver remained with the four Swiftguard operatives, who were approached by a handsome man with well-trimmed facial hair. His strong face drew everyone’s attention away from his bovine ears, a giveaway that he was a firbolg, a creature of fey origin from the Titanwood.

“Greetings, my name is Norric. I’m the eldest monk here. It’s a true pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

Shadow glanced to the side and saw two human monks that looked to be in their seventies walk by.

“The delegation arrived about an hour ago. They’re waiting for you whenever you’re ready,” Norric continued.

“Right to business then?” Zoe asked, looking at Carver.

The kenku elder had a look of determination in his eyes. “We didn’t come all this way to dawdle. Show us to the meeting area.”

“Right this way then,” Norric said without missing a beat.

Norric led the five of them through the decorated halls of the monastery. They passed several rooms, some of which were training areas and others well-kept gardens. Caelynn noticed that some of the plants had the faint glow of druidic magic similar to the plants of the Titanwood.

The dining hall contained intricately designed vases and other antiques. At the center was a long, white table that could seat dozens of people. Sitting at the head of the table at the far end, is a thirty-something year old hominid creature with deep red skin, gentlemanly facial hair, and an eyepatch covering his right eye. The creature was a hobgoblin, and from his attire was a military officer of Rumukhan. On either side was a bugbear guard, large, fur-covered creatures with porcine noses and floppy ears.

The hobgoblin crossed his arms when he saw Carver and the Swiftguard operatives approach, and said, “Hello there. My name is Rodrick of the Krugen Clan. I’ve been informed that your caravan wished to meet with one of our ambassadors.”

As they each took their seats with some distance from the diplomats, Zoe took her mandolin from her back and strummed a chord as she sat. Suddenly, Rodrick and the bugbear to his left softened into a daze, and Rodrick’s mouth melted into a goofy smile. The bugbear to the right looked confused, but did not intervene.

“Greetings Rodrick,” Zoe said with an alluring smile and fluttering eyelashes. “Thank you for meeting with us today. It is a great honor to meet you, although I am saddened that it is under unfortunate circumstances. We are here representing the venerable Kenku Elder, Carver, whose caravan was attacked on his normal route through your nation’s territory. Three of his compatriots are now missing, presumed taken by the marauders. We’re asking for any help you can provide.”

Rodrick shifted in his seat uncomfortably and the other charmed bugbear blushed. “Yes, of course,” Rodrick replied. “Rumukhan is nothing if not honorable. How may I address you, Lady?”

“I am Mizonouta of the Swiftguard. My friends call me Zoe.” She batted her eyelashes and smiled coyly. “You may call me Zoe.”

“Okay...Zoe,” Rodrick continued. “We are incredibly sorry to hear of this. There have been such attacks against travelers in Jorunfell of late, including some of our patrols.”

“I’ve heard of similar disruptions around the continent,” said Zoe. “I’m getting increasingly concerned. Have you heard the names Erdil or the Dreaming One before?”

Rodrick took a deep breath and said, “Our patrols have reported increasing cases of friendly fire...of other goblins attacking us. They managed to capture one of these ambushers, and found that the goblin was in reality a cultist using disguise magic. This cultist also mentioned this ‘Dreaming One’. We’ve been trying to track them, but have had little success. Rumukhan is not as strong as it once was, and now..."

The bugbear unaffected by Zoe’s charm couldn’t keep quiet any longer. “Sir! Should we really be saying such things?”

“But what harm could such a strong and kind-hearted soul like Zoe do with that information?” Rodrick asked innocently.

Zoe’s smile became less flirtatious and more compassionate. “Thank you so much for your honesty. We only wish to help and we can only do so if we have the most amount of information as possible. What successes have you had in tracking them? Can we all work together to get to the root of this and help Rumukhan become strong once again?”

Rodrick nodded his head toward the bugbear to his right. “Clif here knows the area pretty well. He can lead you to where we captured the other cultist. Maybe with your expertise, we can find where they’ve been hiding.”

Clif, the uncharmed bugbear, rolled his eyes. Zoe winked at him as if sharing an inside joke.

“Thank you, Rodrick, sir. I cannot express how grateful I am for your help. How shall we tell you of our success when we are done with our mission?” asked Zoe.

“Perhaps over dinner?” Rodrick offered.

Zoe’s charm faltered just slightly for a moment. She quickly fixed her face and said coyly, “Perhaps.”

* * *

Copper put his hand on Carver’s shoulder. “We’ll find them. Rest here for now.”

Carver nodded, his eyes sparkling a bit with appreciation. The Swiftguard team met Clif by the monastery’s main gate. The bugbear had his arms crossed and shook his head as Zoe approached.

“Rodrick always acts like an idiot in front of pretty girls, but don’t think those wiles will work on me,” Clif said.

Zoe replied with a smile.

The bugbear rolled his eyes again. “Whatever. Follow me.”

Clif led the team east of the Monastery into Rumukhan’s territory. There wasn’t much visually that distinguished the territories of Jorunfell. Rumukhan also had sharp, snow-covered mountains and narrow paths with steep drop offs. All that was really different was the design of the flags posted every hundred feet or so. Rather than Kolvik’s gray flag with the emblem of a decorated helm, Rumukhan’s flag was red with the symbol of a plated gauntlet holding a curved shortsword.

After a few hours of traveling through the snow, Clif stopped in a relatively flat, open space with mountains curving over them on each side.

“You wanted to know where cult attacks happened? This is it,” Clif reported, leaning up against a nearby pine tree.

Copper nodded as he scanned the area. To the left, he saw some broken Doric columns. “What are those ruins of?” he asked, rubbing his throat afterward.

“Ruins? What ruins?” Clif was genuinely confused.

Caelynn, Zoe, and Shadow followed Copper’s line of sight and saw a broken Doric column sticking out of the top of the snow.

“Oh, I see it,” Caelynn said, walking over.

“See what? This isn’t the time for jokes,” Clif said, following her.

Zoe closed her eyes, channeling them with detection magic. When she opened them, she was almost blinded by the auras of illusion magic surrounding them. “No wonder he can’t see. They’re hidden by strong illusion magic.”

“So why can we see them?” Shadow asked, poking a column and confirming it was solid.

“Perhaps you are fooled by the illusion,” Clif said as he batted below Shadow’s hand. To the rest of the Swiftguard team, Clif’s hand passed right through the debris.

As Zoe studied the illusory debris, a chant began to softly echo in her mind.

The Dreaming One waits beneath…the Dreaming One waits beneath…

It was different than when her spell gem translated Carver’s mimicry. This time, the chant was far weaker, and sounded clearly like a mortal voice.

“I think we found the right place,” Zoe said. She stepped forward and the chanting in her head grew louder. She moved around to where the chanting was the loudest, and as her foot hit the snow covered ground, the material underneath was different. She brushed the snow off with her foot and below her was a trap door.

Caelynn smiled to Clif. “You can’t see the trap door, right?”

“Trap door? We’re in the middle of nowhere!” Clif said.

Zoe opened the trap door, and now all of the Swiftguard operatives could hear the chanting emanating from within. Zoe took one step down the ladder, and Clif jumped back. “You...you’re phasing through the ground!” he exclaimed.

“We’ll be back,” Caelyn nodded to him with a smile.

One by one, the Swiftguard team followed Zoe down the ladder. Clif was left alone up on the surface.

* * *

The ladder descended down to a well-kept stone staircase that spiraled deeper into the earth. Zoe, Caelynn, Copper, and Shadow followed it down, and it led to an ornate temple with sconces decorated like tentacles attached to reliefs on the walls shaped like faces. Ghostly blue flames lit the inside of the temple, and several stone tentacle-faces were glaring down disapprovingly.

“Well this is disconcerting…” Shadow said without his usual playful tone.

Down the hall erupted the sudden sound of screaming. “Get away from me! By Rumukhan you will suffer for this!”

The four quickly rushed down the hall. The hallway ended with a ritual room, in the center of which was a raised platform with eight tables creating a circle. Chained to each of these tables was a creature, three which were kenku and five which looked like goblin soldiers of Rumukhan. One goblin was already dead, its chest sliced open and bleeding profusely. The lead cultist, a pale, bald human man wearing decorated robes and wielding a strange, bloodied knife that looked like three sharpened tentacles spiraled together, was ready to kill a second goblin. Before seeing anything else, Copper’s body turned into a blur.

The head cultist’s hand descended, but suddenly flew away, detached from the rest of his arm. Copper’s body flipped and landed on the other side of him, sword drawn. After a second, a spray of blood came from the stump where the head cultist’s hand was, but he seemed unfazed.

“Excellent. More sacrifices…” His voice seemed to boom through the chamber, but his mouth never moved. The voice had the same slurping noise as the one Caelynn and Zoe heard in the tavern.

Shadow got a better view of the others in the chamber. Robe-wearing cultists were drawing out curved blades and bringing their attention to them. “Copper and I have the leader. You two want to clean up the riff raff?” he asked.

Zoe nodded. “Get ‘em, tiger.”

Shadow fired his grapple cord from his bracelet, wrapping it around a ceiling bracket and pulling him into the air. As soon as his body was midair, he unlatched the grapple cord and drew out his shortbow, firing an arrow into the lead cultist’s chest as he landed across from Copper.

“Fool,” the lead cultist said, as he turned toward Shadow. “Mundane weapons like this won’t…”

Shadow’s arrow exploded into light. The lead cultist’s pale, human face melted away, but underneath, four blue tentacles rolled out. The creature looked just like Erdil, but with a different voice and blue skin instead of purple.

“Man...there’s more than one of you?” Shadow sighed.

Meanwhile, Caelynn dashed to the nearest sacrifice, a kenku, and blasted the chain binding it with a beam of cold. She kicked the brittle metal and it shattered, giving the kenku time to duck behind the table. Two of the cultists ran up toward Caelynn, but Zoe aimed the end of her mandolin at them and struck a chord, sending a blast of sound at them and knocking them away.

“How did they even get in?” one of the cultists shouted.

“They must’ve somehow heard the sacred mantra!” another replied.

“That’s the thing about kenku,” Zoe said, smirking. “They can mimic any sound they hear perfectly.”

The tentacle-faced cultist’s eyes glowed purple, and a wave of energy erupted from his head outward. Shadow stumbled back, but Copper fought through the psychic attack. His hands disappeared in a blur again, and Shadow could make out a trail of light following Copper’s sword. Four distinct slashes sliced into the cultist’s body.

The cultist stumbled back, laughing. Within their minds, they all heard, YOU THINK IT ENDS HERE WITH ME, BUT I AM ONE OF MANY. I AM BUT ONE OF THE DREAMING ONE'S EYES AND MOUTHS.

“Who is this Dreaming One?” Zoe shouted back.

The cultist didn’t answer. His body swelled like a balloon, with jets of ink-like fluid squirting out from all over his spherical form. Shadow jumped and kicked off a nearby column, leaping onto a rafter overhead. He aimed his left arm down to the swelling tentacle-faced cultist, and his forearm mounted grapple cord fired. The end punctured the cultist’s body, making a slop sound as it sunk into his rubbery flesh. With the grapple cord secured. Shadow jumped straight toward the ground, using the rafter and cord as a pulley to hoist the cultist into the air. Just as the cultist’s blubbering body hit the ceiling, his entire form popped with a concussive blast, sending steaming ink in all directions. Zoe and Caelynn leapt out of the way. Copper, seeing the fluid raining down toward him and the cult’s sacrifices, sent a wave of magic through his blade and sliced forward. The air split in two, sending the fluid away from them.

The other cultists weren’t so lucky. As they ran to surround the party, the ink hit them and ate into their flesh. Curiously though, they didn’t respond to it. Instead, the cultists laughed as acid-ridden flesh slipped off their bodies.

One of them turned to Caelynn. “Finally! We’re being consumed! We’re becoming part of him!” With that, the cultists melted down to puddles of red and pink mush.

Caelynn raised an eyebrow and muttered, “Fanatics…”

As she lowered her guard, one last cultist leapt at her from behind a column, scimitar at the ready. Caelynn tried to raise her palm to blast him, but Zoe intercepted first. With a strum of her mandolin, a concussive crack of sonic magic catapulted him away from Caelynn. It left the Winter Knight’s ears ringing a bit, but she was safe.

Zoe stepped forward, her brow furrowed with frustration. “Alright. I need answers, and it looks like we have one last volunteer.”

The cultist tried to sit up, but Zoe knelt down and fluttered her eyelashes. A faint verdant glow overcame her irises, and Caelynn felt a similar sensation when Zoe charmed Rodrick.

“Now tell me, worthy one. What do you know about the Dreaming One?”

The cultist’s eyes softened into a haze. “He is the beginning and the end. Now he Dreams until he can be awakened. His power has been usurped, and now we are closer than ever to returning him to his rightful glory.”

“That’s quite lovely, but it tells me little,” Zoe replied. “I want to hear from you. What other names is the Dreaming One known by? What does he look like?”

“We cannot utter His name…” the charmed cultist said, this time more fearfully. “We cannot comprehend His visage. We only know that we are his Dream, and that when he Awakens, we are all freed from the shackles of this reality. But you should know that. I know you’ve heard him speak. I can hear it from all of you.”

Shadow raised an eyebrow and looked at Caelynn. Caelynn whispered, “The password we heard from Carver.”

Shadow silently mouthed, “Ah.”

“Who were you, before you found the Dreaming One?” Zoe asked.

“I was but a lowly potter named Clyde,” the cultist answered. “Now, I am one of the Dreaming One’s most faithful. Soon, I will gain my true face like Qhesdell.”

“Who is Qhesdell?” Zoe asked, raising an eyebrow.

The cultist’s eyes turned to the splatters of ink on the ceiling. “I think you meant to ask ‘who was Qhesdell?’…”

Copper took out a cloth and wiped down his ink covered blade.

Zoe turned to Caelynn. “I don’t think we’re getting anything else out of him.”

Caelynn thought for a moment, then said, “Let me try something.”

She stepped over to the cultist and her palm channeled the light of protection magic. She pressed it to Clyde the cultists’ forehead. His gaze sharpened with sudden clarity, and he vomited a similar black ink to what had burst from Qhesdell. After a fit of coughing, Clyde panickedly took in his surroundings. “MY GODS! THE VOICES HAVE STOPPED! YOU MADE THE VOICES STOP!”

“What did you do?” Zoe asked Caelynn.

“A basic warding spell,” Caelynn answered, wide-eyed.

Clyde wept hysterically. “Oh Gods...the things I’ve done…”

“The only problem is that the spell only lasts for a minute,” Caelynn explained. “After that, I fear that this ‘Dreaming One’s’ hold on him will return.”

“No! Then just kill me now!” Clyde begged. “I can’t go back to what I just was!”

In a flash, Shadow had moved behind Clyde with his rapier drawn. Zoe and Caelynn heard a distinct thunk, and Clyde crumpled to the ground unconscious. Shadow had used the pommel of the rapier to knock him out.

“Let’s just take him back to the Monastery. I have a feeling they can treat him there,” Shadow suggested.

* * *

Verdant light radiated over Clyde’s unconscious form on a comfortable looking bed as two of the monastery’s monks attended to him with mysterious energy coming from their palms. One of the monks nodded to Norric, who stepped outside the healing chamber to the four Swiftguard operatives.

“Clyde should be fine,” he said. “The kenku and goblins you brought back ended up only having minor injuries, but Clyde’s mind is still wounded from his ordeal. Still, he should make a full recovery...physically that is.”

“There is still aberrant magic lingering in the hills. Someone will need to cleanse the area,” said Zoe.

“Aberrant?” Norric asked with a raised eyebrow. “Can you elaborate?”

“The magic of the Mists,” Caelynn explained. “It was probably from the squid-like creature leading them. I wouldn’t be surprised if there were other lingering cult members still in the mountains.”

“Cult?” Norric asked, disturbed.

Caelynn nodded. “The Cult of the Dreaming One.”

Norric’s face went pale. “Dreaming One? You’re sure you heard those words?”

The air in the hallway chilled. Caelynn slowly nodded.

“The situation certainly has cause for concern, then,” Norric continued. “The Cult of the Dreaming One was always small, but they were most dangerous. There were rumors that they controlled strange magics...magic not even known by the Crucible Academy.”

“What’s disturbing is that not all of them are believers,” Caelynn explained. “Take Clyde here. He was under psychic control from the Leader.”

“This isn’t the first time I’ve heard of them,” said Zoe. “What do we do? Who do we tell?”

“Honestly, I’m not confident anyone will use this knowledge responsibly,” Norric admitted. “I don’t know if anyone should be told.”

“Why is that?” Caelynn asked.

“There was a rumor that the Cyrrican government was interested in their power,” Norric explained. “And look what that got them. Curious, irresponsible minds may spell doom for us all.”

“Irresponsible minds, huh?” Zoe said, echoing his sentiment. “I believe I have someone we can trust.”

Norric smiled genuinely. “Must be nice.”