"Send me to spy on your own damn townsfolk! Not like I've got better things to do than watch an ogre play with toys", Matey grumbled to himself as he wormed his way out underneath the heavy canvas of the tent. He had seen quite enough of the wizard's experimental machine for one lifetime. Days of watching that ogre meticulously adjusting equipment and measuring microthaumaturgical levels, whatever they were, had left Matey daydreaming of impossibly complicated machinery and multi-elemental pocket dimensions
He flew back to the tavern for his evening nightcap. The Captain had still not returned from his latest adventure with the other 'heroes', so the surveillance job had no end in sight. A triple of whiskey later and Matey was dozing on his rafter in the warm evening, the soothing sounds of gambling and drinking lulling him into a fitful sleep.
"GET DOWN HERE BIRD, I'VE GOT A JOB FOR YOU!"
Matey awoke with a start, nearly falling off his perch before coming to his senses and gliding down to the table where the Captain was waiting with an irritated expression and a mug of ale.
"Welcome back to the surface, Captain. Did you kill the demon prince yet?" Matey inquired, endeavouring to sound less hungover than he felt.
"Belay that, we've got a problem. Some bastard's moved in on the Mosswood Highway liquor business while I was away. I wanted that market!" said Killingsworth angrily. "These cases of whiskey arrived this morning from Sandpoint. Apparently they are also stocked at every waystation along the road." He gestured at some wooden crates with 'Huntington Estates' stamped on the side.
"So someone has more business smarts than you. What's new?"
"What's new is this whiskey is magical! I haven't figured out what the enchantment is yet, but it doesn't seem to have had any real effect on Short Yak. It's still magical though, which makes me question its origins. I need you to head to Sandpoint and investigate this 'Huntington Estates' company. Find out what you can about the origins of this liquor and preferably put a stop to it! Haku was all set to start our export business, but now none of the waystations want his finest!"
"So being the Spymaster for Calaelan gives you the power to destroy your business competition?" Matey no longer felt the need to hide his mood.
"My job is to protect Calaelan and our business happens to be an important part of Calaelan. Your job is to follow orders and get to the bottom of this." said Killingsworth testily.
Matey pondered on the situation and concluded that having a job was better than trying to hustle more copper coins from the few fools that were still willing to play cards with him. "Sandpoint's quite a hike, Captain. I'll be needing some gold to pay my expenses."
"Standard pay plus travel allowance for a 2 week round trip. It’s all here. Make sure to see Talisa before you leave for any equipment you need." Killingsworth flung a money purse onto the table and turned his attention back to the pile of documents next to his ale.
Matey snatched the purse and secured it in his magical belt pouch, right next to the set of emergency wands and his disguise kit. He flew over to the bar to get a wake-up brew from Haku and contemplate the mission. Was the Captain really just using him for a business vendetta? Did he really expect any more from so self-centered a man? Presently he found the tavern filling with the morning rush and, taking his cue to leave, flew out the window and over to the Talisa's shop to get geared up for the mission.
"Aah Matey, I've been expecting you! Try these on" gushed Talisa as she reached out and snapped a pair of goggles onto Matey's head.
Immediately the room lit up with an explosion of coloured auras. "Gods be damned woman, what is this?"
"I made you a pair of Detect Magic Goggles. Captain Killingsworth briefed me on the details of your assignment and I thought claws-free was the way to go. I also made you these..." Talisa reached for a small box on her workbench and pulled out a pair of small stones. "They are tracking marbles. I've tuned them to you so all you have to do is think about them and their location will appear in your mind. They are well protected from detect spells too, so you shouldn't have any issues with them being found."
Matey slid these into his belt pouch and pushed the goggles up onto the top of his head. "Thanks doll, I'm sure the Captain is covering the bill?"
"Of course, though I won't be accepting any more of his 'authentic gold doubloons'" replied Talisa with a thin smile. And with that, Matey flew out of the store and began the long journey across the continent to Sandpoint.
A day and night of travel saw him arriving at Nai Chung, the first waystation along the new Mosswood Highway. A hastily thrown together inn staffed by half-elf ladies with only the one brand of whiskey for sale: Huntington Estates. Matey ordered one and flipped some copper onto the bar before sticking his beak into the glass and drinking deeply. It wasn't to his taste, but he could see how a humanoid might enjoy it. He grabbed the glass in both claws and hopped over to a corner table away from prying eyes before slipping down the goggles and having another look at the glass of amber liquid. It glowed faint green, meaning conjuration magic according to Talisa. A weak aura of creation then. Maybe this wasn't your regular malted barley after all. Matey downed the rest of the drink before retiring to a nearby tree for some rest.
Early in the morning Matey was awoken by a hushed argument between one of the innkeepers and a large orcish wagon driver. The side of the wagon bore the Huntington Estates trademark and in the back of the wagon were 3 crates of whiskey bottles. It sounded to Matey like the innkeeper didn't want them, but before the driver got violent she capitulated and handed over a hefty-looking purse. The driver stacked the three crates on the muddy ground and was swiftly on his way, down the road towards Sandpoint. The half-elf sighed and picked up the first crate, carrying it into the waystation. So that was their racket then? Intimidation tactics always ruffled Matey's feathers as he much preferred wit and charm to solve people problems. Looks like the Captain had sent the right bird on this job after all.
After a quick nibble on some of the travel rations from his belt pouch, Matey continued his journey along the Highway. At the next waystation was more of the same whiskey, so Matey didn't stop for long. He continued though to Orly where he stopped for a rest at the Murdered Lumberjack Pub, where, for the first time, there was a choice between the local brew and the Huntington whiskey. What looked like an entire tribe of goblins were running the pub too. Matey flew in the window and decided to play it native and squawked once before settling on the edge of the bar. A wrinkled old goblin smiled at Matey and pushed a bowl of nuts towards him. Matey turned his head and squawked again, hoping the goblin would get the hint. A glass of local ale was placed in front of him and Matey stuck his beak in to drink, glad that the message got through.
Presently Matey felt movement behind him. He reacted immediately, launching himself towards the rafters as a net crashed down onto the bar where he had just been perched. The goblins shouted at him and when one reached for a knife, Matey quickly flew out the window to safety. "Damn stupid gobs can't let a bird drink in peace" grumbled Matey as he flew away from the small town towards the forest to find a comfortable, and more importantly goblin-free, place to rest.
Now that he was out of the Calaelan Dominion it was clearly no longer wise to reveal himself, so he stuck to the forest. The rest of the journey to Sandpoint passed in a blur of flying above the road observing the wagon and foot traffic, resting in trees and nibbling on travel rations. One night a memorable nightmare about a zombie squirrel making poison whiskey had Matey glaring at the long, dark shadows for a few hours before settling down enough to rest.
On arrival in Sandpoint Matey was to meet up with the Captain's contact; the former rabble-rouser named Cassius who had been on Sandpoint's payroll. According to the Captain he was as trustworthy as you could pay him to be, which was all Matey needed. He flew over the town's less salubrious area until he spotted the bright blue cloth, a pre-arranged signal, tied to the upstairs window of a seedy tavern. He hovered briefly outside the window, inspecting the room before landing on the sill and ducking inside.
"You're finally here! I've been waiting for a day now!" said Cassius as he stood from where he lay on the bed.
Matey turned his head to take a critical glance at the speaker. The bard-come-stool pigeon was casually, but neatly dressed. His clothes were clearly not the best quality available. If anything he looked like he had indeed been here all day, the creases on the shirt telling that tale for him. His hair was slightly rumpled and there a small growth of stubble on his soft face. City life clearly suited him better than country town insurrection.
"The Highway journey was more eventful than expected" replied Matey, "So I believe you are to brief me on the next part of this assignment?"
"Ah yes. Well, let's start from the beginning. About 2 months ago, the Earl of Huntington suddenly appeared on the social scene. Word is that he bought the title and is awash with gold. Once established on an estate just outside Sandpoint, he began exporting liquor up the Mosswood Highway. From the outside, none of this raises any suspicions, but Captain Killingsworth had me look further into it for some reason. Around the time the Earl set up his business here he employed a new assistant, a woman who, to me, stinks of the vile air of Rappan Athuk. I followed them around town when they were last in here, but saw nothing out of the ordinary. I have been trying for a while to get onto the Earl's estate without success. As luck would have it, tonight they are hosting a grand dance."
Matey's eyes had been slowly glazing over while Cassius droned on but at this he perked up. "Did you..?"
"Yes, I've managed to secure myself a performance slot. It's quite a flamboyant occasion so I should be able to take you in with me as an accessory without any questions."
"Perfect. Once we're in the house, I should be able to sneak away for a look around without raising any alarms." declared Matey, "Was there anything else I should be aware of?"
"The woman, the assistant. Rumour has it she bought a powerful artifact with her when she came to town, and that's how she got so close with the Earl so quickly." said Cassius.
"Got it. I'll keep my eye out when scouting the house. For now I need to make some plans of my own and prepare for the evening."
Matey spent the next few hours flying around town getting the lay of the land and doing a spot of shopping, filling out his disguise kit and picking up a few more useful tools that caught his eye. One item that caught his eye was a tremendously tightly coiled wire. Secured by a magical spell, it would unwind and wrap itself around the target of choice. Matey slipped this into his belt before heading back to the tavern to get ready.
He was putting the finishing touches on his disguise when Cassius knocked once before opening the door to the room and entering. "Well that's quite a disguise! I don't even recognise you Matey!"
"That's the point, Cassius" he replied, tucking away the remaining feather that he had stripped from an unfortunate crow earlier that day. "Are we all set to go?"
"Yes, I have a coach waiting downstairs and I think my costume will match well with yours." Cassius threw his hands aside and his dark cape billowed out to either side. "Did you want to take to my shoulder now, or can you make your own way down to the coach?"
In reply, Matey flapped his newly black wings once and launched himself out the window. Cassius briefly saw the setting sun blocked by the silhouette of the large raven Matey had become before turning and heading back down the stairs. He got into the coach and nodded to the driver, who prodded the horses into motion towards the city gate. Cassius heard a light scratching noise as Matey land on the roof and he sat back to relax before the most stressful evening of his life began.
When the coach pulled to a stop outside the lavish mansion of the Earl of Huntington, Matey waited for Cassius to alight before hopping down to him. He felt what was surely a suppressed flinch when he gripped his claws lightly into the bard's shoulder. Ignoring it for nerves, Matey maintained his silence and did his best impression of a simple-minded pet while Cassius talked to the guardsmen and presented his performer's credentials.
As the doors were flung open, Matey got his first look at true extravagance. The entrance hall alone blazed with the light of three white crystal chandeliers and dozens of wall-mounted torches. The musicians in the corner played an old classic while the best-dressed nobles of Sandpoint greeted one another and impeccably groomed waiters passed out wine and spirits (Huntington Estates, if Matey's nose was any judge).
Cassius strode confidently through the hall, nodding at some, shaking the hands of others. Matey was so busy inspecting the beautiful craftsmanship of the Ferraguero Halfbrick oil painting that he hadn't even realised they were heading into the Grand Ballroom already. Here, the high vaulted roof with its white paint and gold leaf decoration fought for his attention above the swirling, choreographed chaos of two dozen dancers.
"Ah yes, Mister Cassius" a voice sneered loudly. Matey instantly loathed the snivelling servant who owned the voice now addressing his companion, "The Earl would like to meet you before your performance. This way please". As the sniveller lead them across the ballroom away from the dancers, and sadly the sparkling wine, Matey got a good look at him. Human, with oily, dark hair and pale skin, thin and slightly hunched. Untrustworthy and probably as bent as a cheap spoon. Almost exactly how he had pictured him just from hearing the voice.
Cassius was being lead towards a cluster of humans, with a deep, booming laugh emanating from its centre. Matey could feel the muscles in his shoulder perch tighten into knots.
The servant stopped at the edge of the crowd and announced: "My Lord, may I present to you Cassius the Entertainer."
People quickly moved aside to allow the newcomer passage, revealing the handsome man and rather severe-looking lady standing in the centre. Cassius stepped forward while Matey stared critically at the pair. The Earl was wearing an intricately embroidered purple tunic with black leggings and shoes boasting gold buckles that must have cost more than the tavern Matey called home. The woman next to him was in a simple-cut black priest’s robe that still managed to scream expensiveness at the top of its silk-lined, golden-threaded lungs. She had no jewellery save for a plain solid-looking gold disc hanging around her thin neck. Matey's brief internal war with his snatching instinct was interrupted by the need to maintain balance as the idiot went for a deep bow.
"My Lord, it will be my great pleasure to perform for you tonight", He said with a voice suddenly a lot deeper and more melodious than his normal speaking tone.
"I'm sure the pleasure will be ours! You came highly recommended from Sebastian Deverin himself!" Matey watched the Earl curiously as he spoke, trying to get his measure and mannerisms worked out. "Make sure you take good care of him and his pet, Shonkersly. Fetch him a drink!"
The woman meanwhile, Matey presumed she was the assistant Cassius had mentioned, nodded once and turned back to the others nearby to continue her hushed conversation. The circle soon closed back around the pair and Shonkersly, the slimy servant, waved over a waiter and thrust a glass of wine in Cassius' hand before vanishing into the crowd.
"Well, I've got you in. What now?" Cassius was muttering into his drink, just loud enough for Matey to hear.
"When it's your time to perform, I'll sneak off and case the joint. Make sure you keep them entertained for a while."
"That shouldn't be a problem. I've improved my craft since my time in Dejune"
Matey chose not to respond to this, and instead swept his eyes across the hall full of richly-dressed humans. Here and there an elf stood out, but such an overwhelming majority pointed to a conscious bias on the host's part.
Presently the musicians wound up their last song and Matey saw Shonkersly worm his way onto the small, raised platform on one side of the hall. Cassius straightened his posture, placed his still-full goblet on the nearest empty surface and muttered "There's our cue. I'll see you after."
Matey took off with a silent flap of his blackened wings and perched on a convenient curtain rod on the opposite wall, waiting for the show to start.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, honoured guests. his Excellency the Earl of Huntington bids you welcome to his humble abode." Shonkersly looked around expectantly. A few small patches of polite laughter broke the silence before he continued. "Yes, well... Our first performer is a local of Sandpoint and yet has the reputation of one of the finest storytellers in the whole of Stoneheart Valley! Please give a warm welcome to Cassius!"
At this there was a sudden flicker of cloth as Cassius' black cape billowed out around him, drawing the attention of all in the room as he stepped onto the stage. His melodious voice rang out:
"Tonight I shall tell you the tale of the last Red Dragon, the fiery Agaronak!"
Matey knew this was his chance and, sticking close to the wall, he flew up above the heads of the guests and the guards towards the servants entrance in the far corner of the ballroom. The open doorway leads into a hall with the kitchen off to one side, staff scurrying busily back and forth, no one looking up. Matey continued along the hallway until found a staircase.
“May as well start at the top..” Matey muttered under his breath, shooting up to the 2nd floor. He found himself in another corridor, still sumptuously decorated but clearly a bit more homely than the more public area downstairs. The carpets a little worn, and the sideboards and corner tables had telltale signs of use. Matey tried a couple of doors before he found an office and headed in, pushing the door closed so that it was only slightly ajar. He started rummaging through the documents on the desk, grabbing a few memos related to the liquor trade and stuffing it into his belt pouch. Nothing incriminating yet, but the Captain could definitely learn how to run a business from this guy. Matey found a small safe behind a wall panel and, uttering the now familiar incantation, deftly spun the tumblers into place with a gesture of his claw. The door swung open to reveal a sheaf of business receipts and a folder containing a dossier on the woman in the black robe. Matey flipped it open on the desk and began reading:
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Name: Gabor Lux
Affiliations: Suspected priestess of Orcus.
First appeared: 195th day of 1789E
Observations: The target splits her time between the Earl’s estate and a private house in the wealthier area of Sandpoint. Some activity has been noticed around the house in late evenings, even on nights where the target is away. A local hedge wizard confirmed emanations of necromantic magic from the house before being silently disposed of. Target is likely involved with the cult of Orcus at a city, if not regional level.
Recommendation: Could be helpful to Operation Dark Night. Eliminate or Hire.
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A creeping chill wormed its way up Matey’s spine as he slipped the papers into his pouch. What exactly had he been sent into? Why would the Earl knowingly hire an Orcusite? Unless there was more to this than the Captain had told him? More likely the Captain didn't have a clue.
The creaking of a floorboard outside snapped Matey out of his gloomy thoughts and into action. He sprung into the air flying up above the door while pulling the Wand of Sleep from the pocket of his belt. He only had to wait a moment before a guard pushed the door open and stepped into the room. Matey held his position until he saw the guard’s reaction to the open safe and scattered documents before drawing on the wand’s power and knocking the guard unconscious. He tucked it away as he snuck out of the room and pulled the door closed with a solid click. The near miss had focussed his mind and he made quick time inspecting the remaining rooms on this floor. He found the likeliest suspect for the orcusite’s room and hid one of the tracking marbles in her travel cloak. Hopefully he would be able to follow her to the townhouse she was using as a cult base.
With nothing else of interest on the top floor Matey returned downstairs and stealthily scouted the rest of the house. Ostentatious decorating aside, there was nothing of interest to him until he came across a heavy iron door, locked of course. Engraved on the door were the words "Obscuro Nox". It likely lead to a cellar, judging by the lack of other entrances to a below-ground level. Matey spent a few minutes searching around it but no other clues presented themselves.
He returned silently to the ballroom, hoping Cassius was still holding their interest.
"The dreadful Agaronak reared up and, shouted 'One of our kinds ends today, Thaurissian' as flames bubbled around his jaws and poured over the already-scorched landscape in a destructive wave. The dwarf stood firm, resisting the fire with terrible magic of its own, and then raising its hammer high, grimly whispered 'Yours', and struck the once-proud dragon one final, ringing blow to his skull, shattering bone and ending the life of the last great red dragon."
"A little embellished, but very gripping", thought Matey as he manouvered above the Earl, looking for an opening to approach... But it looked like his luck had run out as Cassius stood there silently.
"Then what happened?" A timid voice asked in the cavernous room.
"The band of 'heroes' cut up the beast and devoured it" stated Cassius quietly.
The guests and staff reacted as one:
"Gods!"
"I'm going to be sick!"
"That poor dragon.."
"Who would do such a thing?"
Now was the moment! Timing it perfectly, Matey swooped down and, as the Earl turned to calm the crowd, slipped the second tracking marble into one of his tunic pockets. He continued his flight up to the stage and landed neatly on Cassius' shoulder as he was walking down the steps.
"Did you find what you needed?", whispered Cassius as he walked through a swiftly parting crowd of upset nobles.
Matey did his best to look like a dumb bird chewing his master's ear affectionately as he replied:
"Somewhat. There is a locked cellar door I couldn't breach. I'd love to know what's hidden down there but it will have to wait, I suspect. You might have overstayed our welcome..."
Cassius and Matey left the ballroom and headed for the front door. It looked like a few stomachs had been turned and there was quite a bit of activity around the coach area, with guards and servants hustling to help the nobles on their way. The horses and other... beasts of burden... snorted steam into the air with impatience while upset noble ladies were helped into their carriages.
"A bit too busy out here for any further exploration. I might come back tomorrow and look for another cellar entry", said Matey while they waited for their carriage to be fetched. " Nothing else to do tonight except get some rest."
Cassius stepped into their coach and they rode silently back into town together. Soon enough Matey was flying back up to his room in the tavern, where he carefully stripped off the disguise and packed everything away into his belt pouch. After he was done, he fell asleep on the bed, grateful for some peace and quiet.
In the darkness of the room, Matey was suddenly awake and alert, sensing something was wrong just a little too late as something cracked him across the head and the darkness closed back in around him.
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Matey came to on his back on a metal table. It was still dark but the room felt very different. He found his wings were stretched out and tied to the table. There were also loops of rope across his chest and claws, pinning him down.
“Good evening, Matey!” A voice sounded out as several torches sprung to life and illuminated half the room. Matey could see some kind of apparatus attached to the roof. Straining his head to one side he saw the Earl standing near a familiar looking iron door, wearing an intricately embroidered dressing gown and thick woolen pants. Gabor Lux was standing to his side, in the same robe she wore at the party, manipulating a set of levers mounted on the wall. The other side of the room was still shrouded in darkness, but a bubbling sound of boiling liquid was coming from close by.
“Uh… Bwerrk?”
“Come now Mister Bird, you have been discovered. You are a spy for the Calaelen Dominion. This little ball in my pocket was very interesting. Unfortunately for you, my advisor, Ingrette, was able to discern its use and its owner.” The Earl walked towards the table, smiling broadly. “I, too, have a new toy, but considerably more practical.”
Matey glanced up at the contraption on the roof, noting that it seemed to be moving slowly and pointing a small stick in his direction.
“You are looking at an industrial disintegrator, which emits an extraordinary light, not to be found in nature. It can’t quite reach the moon, but at close range it can cut through solid metal. I will show you!” The Earl turned to Gabor and snapped his fingers.
Gabor flicked a lever into place and the disintegrator started glowing an ominous green before emitting a thin beam of green light that cut straight through the outer edge of the tabletop. The Earl turned back to Matey and smiled, looking at the devastating light as it moved slightly in Matey’s direction, cutting through more of the iron table.
“I think you’ve made your point, your Excellency. Thank you for the demonstration” said Matey dryly, squirming as the beam cut towards him.
“Choose your next witticism carefully, Mister Bird. It may be your last”, said the Earl as he stared into the green light. “The purpose of your visit to my party is now very clear to me. I do not intend to be distracted by you again. Good night, Mister Bird.” He turned away and walked back to the door.
Matey looked away from the Earl at the beam as it cut towards his claws. “Do you expect me to squawk?”
The Earl stopped and turned his head. “No Mister Bird, I expect you to die!” He opened the cellar door and said “There’s nothing you can talk to me about that I don’t already know.”
The Earl whispered animatedly with Gabor while Matey tried to think of something to say. Matey looked from the people standing near the door, to the disintegrator beam and over to the dark side of the room where the bubbling noise could be heard even over the powerful magic burning slowly through the table.
“If I fail to report in, Calaelen will just send someone else!”
“I trust they will be more successful!” replied the Earl.
“Captain Killingsworth knows what I know!”
“You know nothing, Mister Bird!”
The green beam was so close to his claws that Matey could feel his feathers starting to singe.
“Operation Dark Night, for instance!”
Matey heard Gabor gasp, but the Earl kept remained calm.
“Words you may have overheard which cannot possibly have any significance to you or anyone in the Calaelan Dominion.”
“Can you afford to take that chance?” Matey looked at the Earl, trying to keep the desperation out of his voice.
The Earl relented, and snapped his fingers at Gabor again. She flipped the lever and the disintegrator beam vanished. She then gestured towards the darkness and more torches suddenly flared to life, illuminating the rest of the cellar they were in. Matey recognised some of the equipment as similar to what was in Haku’s kitchen. Of course! He was here to investigate a distillery after all. A magical distillery. That was being run by an Orcusite!
“You seem well informed, Mister Bird. Perhaps you could share your information so that I can know how much our enemies know.”
Matey could still feel the heat of the table through his feathers and, wriggling, realised the rope holding down his claws had been burned through. Enough freedom for him to start planning an escape, but he still needed time.
“Well, from the start we knew you were flooding the market with magical booze. I was sent here to find out why.”
“And what exactly did you find out?”
“That Ms Lux there is a worshipper of Orcus. I suspect you are too. I also found that you have in your possession an artifact of power beyond your knowledge”
“You mean this?” said the Earl, walking towards the equipment and pointing at a large filigree bronze gear that had been built into the cooling pipe array of the distillation equipment. “We use this to give the whiskey that extra ‘kick’. It also appears to be having curious effects on the mentality of anyone that drinks it.”
“Beyond getting drunk, you mean?” Matey watched his two captors with an eye on each, waiting for an opportune moment.
“Why yes! Even once the drunkenness and requisite hangover have subsided, the drinker finds themselves drawn more towards chaos than before. They find rules and laws more intolerable. With time, haha, they even start to reject their own beliefs and look to the great Orcus for guidance! We are sowing the seeds of our God’s revival even while turning a profit and turning the people who would most fight against him!”
The Earl had been getting louder and more enthusiastic with each word. Gabor had walked across the room and embraced him. Matey saw they were both distracted and muttered the words to conjure his trusty helping hand. He used it to tear the ropes from his body and then, rolling off the table while still concentrating, flipped the levers that controlled the lethal disintegrator.
Gabor spun on her heels while the Earl stared dumbfounded at the green beam carving through the rock of the floor towards them. Matey continued to pull levers as equipment started to burn and break, and fires started to break out. The Orcusite priestess knocked the Earl over as she grabbed the artifact and wrenched it out of the burning wreckage. Glass shattered and cool air spilled in through some broken windows high up in the walls, feeding the flames.
As the fires spread to the woodwork of the house, Matey abandoned his spell and took to the air, launching himself outside through one of the windows without looking back. Climbing further into the sky, Matey circled and observed the spreading destruction that he had wrought. Servants scurried from the house carrying their, or the Earl’s, belongings with them while the guards had produced buckets and were running back and forth from the outdoor pool, fruitlessly throwing water at the fierce flames consuming the side of the house.
Matey saw the Orcus priestess leave the house from a side door carrying the artifact and, fiddling briefly with something in her hand, take to the air. He dove for cover in a tree and hid from her as she flew towards the town. He concentrated briefly and was pleased to feel the presence of the tracking marble still in the cloak she was wearing. He turned his attention back to the burning house and waited to see if the Earl emerged.
Some time passed, as a contingent of apprentice mages arrived from town to extinguish the flames that had fully consumed the house and the nearby grounds. The staff and guards were huddled together near the stables and a woman of some authority had started talking to them. Matey listened from the roof of the stables, ruffling his feathers as he heard her announce that the head butler, Shonkersly had perished in the flames. The Earl was also unaccounted for and presumed dead. Matey snuck away after that, and headed towards town. The mission wasn’t over until that priestess and her artifact were also dealt with.
Matey’s first stop in town was the tavern that he had been birdnapped from. His utility belt was just where he had left it. He picked it up with his beak and tied it around his body. As an afterthought he pulled the magical goggles from the belt and put them on his head, resting just above his eyes. Matey then concentrated again on the tracking marble. He flew out the window and headed toward the location that was now fixed into his mind.
Soon he was perched on a wall across the road from a nondescript townhouse, hiding in the shadows as he watched the location for any movement. There were no guards outside, and only the occasional shadow passing a window in the upper floor of the house. It looked like she was in there alone. He took a quick look through the magical goggles and could see a shifting mess of colourful overlapping auras covering the house. “Useless things” he uttered, pushing them off his eyes.
Matey circled around to the other side of the house, and found a dark upstairs window. He landed lightly on the window sill and dipped his beak into the pouch at his waist, removing a small diamond thief’s tool. He inscribed a large circle on the glass window before returning the tool to his belt. Carefully pushing with his head, he dislodged the piece of glass and grasped the edge with his claw, lowering it inside silently before climbing through the hole and looking around the room.
Two sleeping bodies occupied the beds in the room, and a glint of light from the hallway shone through the ajar door. Matey crept across the room and looked into the hallway before pushing his way through the door and flying along to another open door, through which he saw the Priestess hastily throwing clothing and books into an open trunk on the floor. On the desk near her, Matey could see the bronze gear. He reached into his belt again and pulled out the trapwire that he had bought in the marketplace what felt like a lifetime ago. He threw the wire, catching the Priestess unaware as she was enveloped by its rapidly tightening coils. She fell to the ground, cursing, as Matey flashed across the room and grasped the artifact with both claws, before hurling himself towards the window, smashing through it on his way out.
He could hear her shouting behind him, and turned his head to see more lights come on in the house as he made for the edge of town. Before he had even gotten a hundred yards, he saw the priestess fly out of her window and head straight for him. He sighed at the ineffective trap and made a note to request a better version from Talisa if he survived this. Hampered by the heavy bronze artifact, Gabor was quickly gaining on him and he knew he’d have a fight on his claws soon enough. He started to climb up away from the ground, hoping to use his innate flying ability to his advantage.
“Get back here you foul beast! You carry the very heart of power and I cannot let you have it!” shouted the Priestess, nearly incoherent with rage. She was following him, but struggling to fly straight up.
She had adopted a spiraling upwards flight that gave Matey some time to think. He shook his head until the goggles fell down over his eyes and studied her as she climbed towards him. A strong violet aura of transmutation emanated from the ring on her finger, eclipsing the dark aura of her own necromantic magic. Matey surmised that the ring was responsible for her magical flight, giving him an idea. A quick look down at the ground far below told him that it was just crazy enough to work.
Readying himself, he let go of the gear and dove towards the Priestess. Her gaze flicked down to the gear as it was falling, and she struggled to change direction towards it. Distracted as she was by her falling treasure she had turned her back on Matey, giving him the opening he needed to get close to her outstretched arms. With a swift and powerful bite, he severed her ring finger and swooped out of her reach before she could react.
A scream rang out, followed by loud, unintelligible curses in Matey’s direction as he dove to catch the falling artifact with his claws. As he got alongside the gear and grabbed it, he start to flap his wings hard, slowing his descent. The Priestess was not so naturally gifted and continued to plunge towards the torchlit town square, screaming all the way down.
Matey hovered briefly over the grisly scene before shaking the jangling nerves from his head and resuming his flight out of town. He stopped to rest in a tree when he was some way along the Mosswood Highway and tucked the troublesome artifact into his belt pouch alongside the ring that he’d been carrying in his beak. A passing caravan provided him with a comfortable roof to perch on as he reflected on the events of the last day and finally got some rest.
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“So what you are saying is, you killed the competition and the waystations are open for our business again?” asked Killingsworth, idly flicking through the incriminating papers that Matey had brought back.
Matey sighed and replied “Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying.”
“Wonderful! Great work Matey. Treat yourself to a drink on the house. And take this... thing over to Lannis. It’s the sort of toy he likes to play with.”
