The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Markos Amanodel: VII

"That's not all," Asher added. "Do you know a place with? Access? To sewers somewhere with mud." Asher leaned in. Jalester sat for a moment, looking at Markos and the two others with a bit of bewilderment.

"Floon, huh? Yeah, Volo said something like that. I'm not sure where he is. But.." Jalester thought for a moment. "The other day, some of my guys said they heard something strange coming from Candle Lane, a warehouse there, black. You can't miss it. The only place I can think of with a sewer entrance." Jalester sat momentarily with a look of hope as he thought it would satisfy Markos.

"That's good enough for me!" Markos jumped up, putting on a small act as he grabbed Asher's hand and dragged him from the bar.

"W-wait, we could ask more-" Asher protested as Alekzandr simply stood up and followed.

"No need; we know everything we need to know!" Markos shot back as they exited the bar; he grabbed his head, shaking it as he closed his eyes; painful pulses wracked through his brain as he saw splitting images in the darkness, saws, a massive cliff... her. He shook his head. It was a good day, he told himself. It was a good day; she was never coming back.

"Seriously, Markos?" Asher said as they stood outside the tavern. Asher looked at the door as Alekzandr exited the building.

"Jalester said if we were going to investigate, he would send the guard tomorrow at dawn," Alekzandr told the two. Markos nodded as he tried to cope with his headache.

"Th..thought he'd do that. Can't have a bunch of idiots going after something without the guard." He smiled slightly as he stood up straight, shifting his cloak a little. A moment of clarity hit him. As his mind soothed a bit. Clearly, he was on the right track. Markos looked up to meet Asher's pale green eyes under the mask and Alekzandr's electric blue. "Any idea what we should do until the others meet up with us?" Alekzandr looked off into the distance.

"Is there a bookstore near here?" Markos thought for a moment.

"I don't know, Alekz. Lets uh. Let's look." Markos walked down the street as random images flashed into his head; what was going wrong? What was he supposed to do? He gripped his hair and started cursing as he tried to focus.

"Markos is you. Alright?" Alekzandr moved to his side before Asher stepped in.

"He's fine just having. An episode." Markos could feel Asher's eyes studying him, thinking the same thing he thought. Ever since they had come to Waterdeep, his lapses in sanity had gotten worse; he started seeing her everywhere they went.

'I'm supposed to be here!' Markos screamed internally, 'You said here, so why are you hurting me!' He shook his head as he tried to walk, bumping into random citizens. He tried to level out his head and look forward. Markos knew what was happening until he found one little thing, whatever he needed to continue, his mind would continue splitting like this it would- Markos stopped in his tracks. As his mind seemed lighter.

"Wow." Alekzandr patted Him on the back. "You weren't even looking, and you found a bookstore!" He looked up to see Alekzandr smiling.

"Yup." Markos looked at the bookstore and got a passive feeling.

"If you need it, it could be in there." Markos snapped in a circle looking for the source of the voice. He felt his heart seize up. That was. He shook it off; it was just another voice in his mind. Markos walked towards the entrance spotting the name on the door, 'Book Wyrm's Treasure.' The sign held a curled gold dragon holding a red book in its clutches. Markos stepped through the glass door.

Where others saw insanity. He found tormenting guides. The voices in his head were not simply random whispers. At least not always, but the voices of. Things. Things from which he had gained some semblance of allegiance, his mind was opened to a cosmic truth and thus was laid into with warp. A twisting corridor of a disease that settled upon anyone who witnessed the things Markos had. But with it came a strength.