It was less than a day’s travel to the town. Rilauvin had been constructed beneath the settlement in the Underdark below. They walked cautiously through the lightless passage keeping to hushed tones and hand signals to communicate. “Why are we walking here brother. Is there not a more expeditious means of travel that might get us where we want to go?”

“There will be next time Rygos. This is my first trip to Daggerford. After today we will have the ability to teleport, for now we walk.”

“And you are sure of your contact? The last time someone had been paid on our behalf we ended up betrayed and forced to sunder a thieves guild.”

“This is true but I have met Marvin before. He’s ok for a rat of a human as our dear brother Alaketh would say.”

They reached the drains beneath the town and Valas paused. “The sewers are your domain your grace. For certain the kingslayer should go first.”

Rygos smirked at him and moved forward. “Jerk”

Valas smiled and followed behind. They reached a gate that had been left unlocked and slightly ajar. Valas activated his hat of disguise and Rygos cast the incantation their employer had provided on a scroll so that they’d both appear human. It was after dusk when they arrived the sun falling off into the western horizon. The bit of light remaining was quite bearable. The two brothers meandered through town until they found the storefront they had been looking for. The lower level of the jeweller’s shop was closed for business but there were lights flickering in the upstairs rooms illuminating the new cover of night.

“You probably should have memorized a fireball spell for this contract.” Valas
thought aloud.

“How many up there?” Rygos asked

“Three or four.”

“Counting our guy?”

“I’m not sure.” Valas answered as he surveyed the structure.

“So there could be five guys up there?”

Valas looked around to see if there were any townsfolk nearing as he approached the door. “It’s possible.”

“I should have memorized fuckin’ fireball.” Rygos said shaking his head.

Valas grinned as the lock opened and they entered the store. Rygos closed the door behind them. Valas looked around. The jeweller had a richly decorated interior. Plush seating and glass counters rimmed the perimeter. Polished mirrors lined the walls allowing patrons the opportunity to see how fancy their baubles made them look. Valas stared at his reflection, “Even this disguise makes me feel unclean. Filthy humans.”

Rygos snickered.

Valas was about to walk through an archway into a rear room when a choker grabbed his eye. It was a carved serpentine cut platinum chain ending in a black diamond pendant. The cut was absolute perfection. Even in the dark, it’s facets were artistically beautiful to behold. He examined the glass case and its locks. It was trapped…or so the proprietor believed, as it took Valas seconds to free the treasure from its confinement.

“Evony?” Rygos mouthed.

A head tilt and a grin, then Valas was through the portal. The back room was a workshop with tools of the trade, a kiln and a forge. In the rear of the room was a stairwell leading up and ending on a landing with a closed door. Valas edged toward the door and listened to the sounds on the other side.

“So I told that flighty black elf he should be grateful I allow him to live.” There were others laughing. “They are so feminine and weak you know. They wilt in the presence of a real man. I should have tapped him in his black licorice ass before I sent him on his way, “ The speaker gulped from a mug and continued… “but his skin was much too soft and he had barely a hair on his chin. Bahh… not like a good dwarvish woman.” The other men were hooting and laughing.

Valas knocked on the door and dispelled his disguise. The door opened. Marvin looked at him in shock and flattened against the wall. Rygos dispelled his disguise as well and entered.

“Hey kids! How you boys doing?” Valas said as he entered and closed the door behind him.

Valas leveled his shardblade at a dwarf who was about to get up from the couch. “Relax. Drink.”

Rygos slowly walked to the other end of the room where there was a kitchen and pantry.

Valas addressed a second dwarf who was sitting at a table eating. He was too shocked to speak or react.

“You know who we are?” Without waiting for a response Valas continued “We’re associates of your business partner Nazmyr Vandree. You do remember your business partner don’t you? Let me take a wild guess here. You’re Garsec Marblestone, right?”

“Aye.’ he answered cautiously.

.
“I thought so. You remember your business partner Nazmyr Vandree, don’t you, Garsec?”

“Aye my lord, yeah, I remember him.”

Good. Looks like me an Rygos caught you boys at supper. Sorry about that. What are you having?”

“Hamburgers.”

“Hamburgers! I don’t believe I’ve ever tried a hamburger. What kind of hamburgers?”

“Actually … my lord….Ch-cheeseburgers.”

“No, no no, where’d you get them? Dragon Back Inn? Nartan’s? Black Stone Inn? Where?”

“Big Kuo-toa  Burger. My..my lord”

Big Kuo-toa Burger. I’m not as familiar with this place, though I hear they have some tasty burgers. As I said, I’ve never had one myself. How are they?”

“They’re good.” Garsec Marlblestone answered nervously.

“Would you mind if I try one of yours? This is yours here, right?” Valas picks up a burger and takes a bite.

“Mmm-mmmm. That is a tasty burger. Rygos, you ever have a Big Kuo-toa Burger.?”

Rygos shook his head in disgust.

“Want a bite? They’re real tasty.”

“Not hungry.” .

“Well, if you like burgers give ’em a try sometime. I can’t usually get food like this myself because my paramore’s a vegetarian, which, pretty much makes me a vegetarian. But I do love the taste of a good burger. Mm-mm-mm. What’s in this?” Valas asked pointing at a silver and gold tankard.

“Ale”

“Ale?, good. You mind if I have some of your tasty beverage to wash this down?”

“Please my lord, go right ahead.”

Valas slowly drained the remaining contents of the tankard while looking Garsec Marblestone in the eye “Ah, hit the spot.”

Valas approached the dwarf on the couch “You, half man, you know why we’re here? Why don’t you tell my brother Rygos where you keep the strongbox hidden?”

Marvin, cowering in the corner behind the front door answered, “It’s over th…”

Angrily Valas snapped, “I don’t remember askin’ you a Goddamn thing!” as he glared at Marvin. He returned his gaze to the dwarf still laying on the couch. “You were saying?”

“It’s in the cupboard.” he answered meekly.

Rygos began to search in the upper cupboard.

“No, no, the one by your kn-knees.” The dwarf said.

Rygos pulled a strong box from beneath the cupboard and picked the lock. He peered inside. The lamplight in the kitchen caused a sparkling colorized reflection to fall on his face. Valas would have sworn it was faerie fire. “Are we happy?” Valas asked.

Rygos quietly stared at the contents in the strong box.

“Rygos! We happy?”

“Yeah, we’re happy.”

“Forgive me my lord, I’m sorry, I didn’t get your name. I got yours sir, Rygos, right? But I didn’t get yours…”

“My name’s Valas. And your ass ain’t talkin’ your way out of this shit.”

“No, no, I just want you to know… I just want you to know how sorry we are that things got so confused between us and Lord Vandree. I entered into this arrangement with the best intentions and I never…”

“Valas plunged his shardblade into the chest of the dwarf on the couch killing him instantly. “I’m sorry, did I break your concentration? I didn’t mean to do that.” He pulled the shardblade free of the dead dwarf. “Please, continue, you were saying something about best intentions. What’s the matter? Oh, you were finished! Well, allow me to retort. What does Nazmyr Vandree look like?”

“What?” was all Garsec could say.

Valas flipped the table over “What land are you from?”

“What? What? Wh – ?”

“What isn’t a land I’ve ever heard of. They speak Common in What?” Valas asked sarcastically.

“What?”

“Common, motherfucker, do you speak it?”

“Yes! Yes!” the dwarf cried.

“Then you understand what I’m saying’!”

“Yes!” Garsec whimpered.

“Describe what Nazmyr Vandree looks like!”

“What?”

Valas grew tense with anger and drew his hand crossbow, “Say ‘what’ again. Say ‘what’ again, I dare you, I double dare you motherfucker, say what one more Goddamn time!”

“H-H-He’s black…”

“Go on!” Valas threatened.

“Wears a veil…!” the dwarf answered in a panic.

“Does he look like a bitch?” Valas demanded

“What?”

Valas shot Garsec in the shoulder.

“To be fair brother,” Rygos snickered. The veil is deceiving…”

Valas was furious, “DOES HE… LOOK… LIKE A BITCH?”

“No!” came the dwarf’s pitiful cry.

“Then why you tryin’ to fuck him like a bitch, Garsec?”

“I didn’t…!”

“Yes, you did. Yes, you did, Garsec! You tried to fuck him.”

Garsec was gasping, “No, no…”

“But Nazmyr Vandree doesn’t like to be fucked by anybody except perhaps that beautiful little genie living in his ring. Are you a pious man Garsec?”

“”Aye..yes my lord, please… I’ll pay.”

“Well, there’s this passage I’ve got memorized that sort of fits this occasion. The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of the evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and goodwill, shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children.” Valas paused and raised his voice. “And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger, those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers.” Valas is yelling at the dwarf, “And you will know I am the hand of the Dark Mistress when I lay my vengeance upon thee!” Valas took his shardblade and ran it through the dwarf’s chest as Rygos ran his through Garsec’s back.

Marvin who was still cowering and shivering in the corner cried, “Oh, fuck! I’m fucked. Oh, fuck! Oh, fuck!”

“Is he a friend of yours?” Rygos asked in disdain.

“Hmm? Oh, Rygos, Marvin. Marvin, Rygos.”

Marvin continued his crying and carrying on, “Better tell him to shut the fuck up. He’s gettin’ on my nerves!” Rygos spit.

“Marvin? Marvin… MARVIN!” Valas yelled to get his attention.

Marvin looked up at him.

“I’d knock that shit off if I were you.” Valas suggested.

As Marvin began to compose himself a third dwarf burst forth from the privy firing a repeating crossbow at Valas and Rygos screaming, “Die Drow! Die!” Half a dozen bolts flew past the brothers’ heads and stuck in the wall behind them. They stared at each other for a moment then Rygos and Valas launched their shardblades imbedding them in the dwarf’s chest.

Rygos stared angrily at Marvin. “Why didn’t you tell us that there was someone in the privy? Slip your mind? Did you forget there was a crazy dwarf in the privy with a repeating crossbow?”

“A repeating crossbow? We should be dead.” Valas said softly.

“I know.” Rygos answered as he picked up the repeating crossbow. “We were lucky.”

“Lucky? … No my brother. This was Divine Intervention! You know what ‘divine intervention’ is?”

“Yeah, I think so. That means the Goddess came from the abyss and stopped the bolts.”

“Indeed brother, that’s what it means. That’s exactly what it means! The Goddess came from the abyss and stopped the bolts.”

“Brother, I think we should be going now.”

“No Rygos. Don’t do that! Don’t you fucking do that! Don’t blow this off! What just happened here was a fucking miracle!”

“Relax Valas, these things happens.”

“Wrong! Wrong, these things don’t just happen.”

“Do you want continue this theological discussion back in Rilauvin or perhaps in the town stockade?”

“We should be dead now, my brother! We just witnessed a miracle, and I want you to acknowledge it!”

“Okay Valas, it was a miracle, can we leave now?”

“Good. Yes we can. Grab Marvin”.

As Rygos walked over toward Marvin, crossbow in hand “Marvin, what do you make of all of this?”

“I don’t know my lord. I don’t have an opinion.”

“Marvin, you have to have an opinion!” Rygos asked as he hefted the crossbow. “I mean do you think that the Goddess came up from the Abyss and…” Rygos was cut off in mid sentence when the crossbow accidently fired. The bolt struck Marvin the head killing him instantly.

“Whoa!” was all Rygos could say.

Valas who had been distracted while he withdrew his staff of travel from his bag of holding to teleport them home shouted, “Rygos! What in the Nine Hells is going on?”

“Sorry Valas, I shot Marvin in the face.”

Valas knelt by the body of the brown skinned human examining the bolt in his forehead. “Why the hell did you do that!”

Rygos answered uncomfortably, “Well, I didn’t mean to do it, it was an accident!”

“Oh man I’ve seen some careless behavior from my brothers…but this! “

“I told you it was an accident! I must have tripped or something. We can always pay Brother Cream to raise him if you wish?”

“Do I look like Naris to you, wasting good coin on raising a human?” Valas demanded somewhat annoyed.

“Hey, look, I didn’t mean to shoot the son of a bitch. The crossbow went off. I don’t know why. I’m sorry.”

Valas smiled, “No worries. I couldn’t care less.” he said laughing at Rygos for taking him as serious. “Shall we go?”

Rygos frowned at his brother. “Jerk” and they teleported back to the Tree in Hosuth with the strong box to see their brother Nazmyr.

Nazmyr was pleased. Valas and Rygos expertly settled affairs with Garsec Marblestone. Now he could concentrate on the druid ‘curse’.

He sat comfortably on his large oversized couch in the lounge of the Tree. The room was expertly decorated with colorful throws, lavish silk tapestries and other decor reminiscent of Calashite culture.

Nazmyr expertly shuffled an arcane deck of cards while speaking to himself outloud. “Foolish dwarf!” he spat. “Did he honestly think he could steal from me?!”

His rant was interrupted by a soft feminine voice “You called for my M’lord?” Said Ossuru not crossing the threshold into the lounge.

“Yes, yes. Come in.” He said, and with purpose, tossed a card onto the floor. In a burst of light and smoke and with an ear shattering roar a massive red dragon appeared. It’s mass seemed to envelop the entire room.

Surprised; Ossuru involuntarily screamed and cowered in place.

“YEEES!” Howled Nazmyr triumphantly. He revealed for just a moment more before dismissing the illusion.

Without acknowledging Ossuru’s fear Nazmyr raced over to her. “What did ya think of that?!” He crowed.

Thoroughly embarrassed. Ossuru stood up and did her best to recover. “Th-th-that was amazing M’lord.”

Still smiling and prideful over his accomplishment he said “Tell me of this druid.”

Ossuru was still trying to compose herself “She is called Morrigan; The Witch of the Wilds. She is known to generally keep to herself, but can be merciless and cruel when provoked.”

Nazmyr pondered Ossuru’s words for a moment “Gather your things! I would speak to this ‘druid’ now.”

                                       ******************************************

They left the city and entered the swamp under the cover of nightfall. The moon shone brightly in the sky creating many shadows. The weather was hot and humid. All manner of insects and reptiles chirped and croaked. It seemed as if they too were protesting the heat. It wasn’t before long that Ossuru led Nazmyr to a small clearing. He could smell the smoke and see the embers of what remained of a small cook fire. Nazmyr instructed Ossuru to stay behind as he continued to approach the camp.

He stepped from the shadows to reveal himself and continued to approach the camp. He loathed feeling vulnerable and had to keep reminding himself that this was a mission of diplomacy. Slowly he walked up to the remnants of the smouldering cook fire. He waited a short while anticipating that someone or something would reveal itself. Nothing. He reached into his magical pouch and withdrew a wooden box. As he placed the box on the ground an unfamiliar female voice called out.

“What do you want dark elf?”

Nazmyr visually scanned the area but saw nothing.

“I seek to reach an accord.”

“Why?” she said drily

“Long ago the drow defiled a tree sacred to this area and in doing so offended the Druids that tend to these wilds. I seek to move past that.”

“And what makes you think that I do?”

“If you want war you would have had it by now. Hear me out.”

“What do you think I’ve been doing?”

“The drow were wrong to have defiled your tree.”

“Tamdrasil.”

“What?”

“The ‘tree’ as you call it has a name; Tamdrasil. And it is not my tree. I protect this area of the wilds and the drow have challenged me.”

“No one seeks to challenge you any further.”

“Do you thought? I’ve killed all who would claim Tamdrasil. I thought the message was well received until you happen along.”

“Your message was well received. The offending house has perished and their transgressions along with them. Since that time It has remained empty all of these many years.”

“And then you come along. Apparently my message was not strong enough as the drow seem to have quicking forgotten my lesson.”

“My making use of the Tre..er..Tamdrasil was not meant as an affront. I was only making use of what was already there. If lightning struck a tree and burnt a hole into the trunk would you punish the owl who made the hollow a home?”

There was a brief moment of silence before a tree frog morphed into a rather beautiful human woman. Her raven colored hair was cut in a bob and her violet tunic was revealing just enough to be a distraction.  

“You people came from the Underdark enslaved the indigenous lizard-folk and took their lands. Their once primitive settlement now a drow metropolis.Now Tamdrasil is planted in the middle of that misery. It rather beckons a single sad little tear does it not?”

“I don’t see that it does. Tamdrasil thrives even in it’s current state. As for the lizard-folk…”

“A fitting end for those who gave up their own freedom.” interrupted Morrigan.

Nazmyr was taken back by Morrigan’s comment. He was about to speak when she continued.

“You make some rather unexpected points dark elf. I shall grant you your accord under the condition that you see to it that Tamdrasil continues to flourish. Should Tamdrasil perish I shall hold you responsible.”

“Agreed. Please accept these tokens in appreciation for your time and consideration.” Nazmyr motioned to the wooden box he had placed on the ground earlier.

Morrigan peered into the box “‘‘Tis all junk, just as I… hmm, is that an authentic satyr fertility carving?”