Wayward Tail: The Mortal Realms Trilogy, Book 1

Prodigal Gnome

"What are you doing here?" Artifax asked the she-elf.

Oriander hadn't moved out of the tree line fully when she extended her arm. The raven flew from the fire and landed on her outstretched arm. "I'm here to kill you," she said.

Ladon pulled his sword and came to Artifax's side. Artifax held out his hand to his comrades for them to stand down, and he pushed himself into a standing position. "You are here to kill me?" He asked, clearly confused.

Oriander looked higher up on the mountain as if she had heard something. Then she made her way into the middle of the camp and stomped out the fire. Ladon and Throk kept their weapons drawn, but didn't attack. Something odd was happening and the men just waited to find out what it was.

Oriander began again. "When I left your party up north, I began traveling the land. I wanted to find a way back home... to the Feywild. I ended up taking odd jobs to support myself." Oriander tapped her bow at the last comment, and continued. "A few days ago, when I was in Iriabor, I was approached by a member of the Order of Bahamut."

"What was his name?" Artifax began to see where this story was heading.

"Brother Agorio." Oriander paused at the recognition in Artifax's face, and finished her thought. "He told me that there was a gnome heading east on the Trade Road for the Dragonspires... and that he had done something awful. He said that you were deserving of the most fierce punishment."

The men kept listening. Oriander looked to the hills again. "The pay was good. I won't be the only one to come collect the prize."

The fire was now mostly extinguished. The dying embers cast a dim glow on the figures. "I was expecting to find you in the mountain passes. This evening, I saw your campfire, and I came to warn you."

Oriander looked at the two men who still had their weapons armed. "Relax boys," she said. "I'm not actually going to kill him." At that, the barbarian and the paladin began to relax.

Artifax thought about all of what he had just been told. "So Kelpar wants me dead... I guess I shouldn't be surprised."

Throk looked confused. "Why would the head of Bahamut's church want to kill Artifax?"

Ladon responded, "Because to a religious leader, the only thing worse than someone disproving doctrine and prophecy..."

Artifax finished his thought, "...is someone like me being the proof of that doctrine."

Ladon nodded. "To followers of Bahamut, Artifax represents a higher authority than The Order."

The four adventurers took turns keeping watch throughout the night. They thought about all of the events that this quest had set into motion, and they tried to sleep. For in the morning they would enter the Howling Forest and attempt to find the great Fey castle. All the while, they would be watching over their shoulders for assassins.