Harpers Quest Two- Beyond the Mists

Chapter Thirty-Three

* Also a longer Chapter.

They all stepped through and ended up in a courtyard in the middle of the ruins.

Skyla cancelled the Gate and said "Ok".
"There are wards here," said Mendis, "I think it was meant as a safe haven, the Undead can't get in".
"Then Jack and I better not leave then," said Narache "or else we'll be stuck on the outside again" remembering an embarrassing incident in one adventure when he and Jack had been locked outside an Undead ward put up around the party. The two of them may not have been evil and unusual for Undead, but they were still Undead, and an Undead ward was still an Undead ward, although it made him wonder how if there was an Undead ward around the ruins how it had let him and Jack in! Unless Talafrayen Gates totally ignored such things, that in alone made it worth pondering and the Gates a lot more powerful and useful than first thought!
Looking around they saw that there was a fountain, and water pump though somewhat stiff from disuse, Dinan got it working.

"We'll stay the night and wait for the army to pass then we'll trail them," Varharland said sitting down, his feet ached with all the walking they had done, all four of them! Still unused to being in his true draconic form for an extended time, he felt the strain and his burnt wing was hurting, Meriel was currently applying one of her herbal poultices to it.

"it might scar," said Meri then.
"Fair enough," Varharland said.
"You will be able to use it again, won't you?" she asked worriedly.
"yeah, I could fly now in fact, it's not really that bad, just tender and sore," he said spreading his wing slightly so Meri could have better access.
"Ok," she said, "this may sting though".
Caldon and Mendis were under the water pump been sprayed by the attached hose by Trias, who was wet himself.
The Deva had stripped down to nothing but his white wings and breechclout, but it didn't seem to worry him, it was quite hot.
K'hari clad in nothing but her underwear was standing under the water as well sluicing herself down.

"I think we all need a bath," Narache said, who had removed his armour and his shirt and most of his other clothes and boots and was carrying a pan which he filled with water heating it via a cantrip and poured one of Meri's foot soaks into it and sat down on a broken pillar and soaked his feet.
"My feet hurt!" Narache complained, "even my feet get sore after walking for 12 hours!"
"Could someone please spray the dragon?" Varharland whined.
"Just watch his injured wing," Meriel said stripping down to practically nothing and getting under the water, joining Mendis, K'hari and Caldon who were also all down to nothing and cooling themselves off.

Skyla tilted the other hose and aimed it at Varharland getting Narache and Tevon in the process.
"Hay!" Tevon said Narache leaned back and let the water spray him.
"I wish Tarms was here," Caldon said.
"You shouldn't be here!" Mendis said then washing himself down with soap he spread his wings so they can get some water.
"Yeah, I know," said Caldon.
Meri had undone her long hair and was washing it Mendis came over and said "allow me Meri" he started to massage the shampoo into her hair.
"Thanks," she said.
Narache had gotten up and had come over under the spray, his pale, alabaster skin almost glowed in the light, Narache was typically elven in build, more wiry than brawny, he had undone his long blue hair, so it hung around his shoulders in waves, he took some of the shampoo and started to wash his own hair.
"it's been a while since I had a chance to wash my hair properly," he remarked, "it was feeling kind of greasy".
Mendis chuckled "for someone who doesn't usually have a reflection, you seem to really care for your appearance".
Narache frowned "Who says I don't have a reflection? I have never made that claim! And why shouldn't I? I know I'm not half bad looking!"
"But..." Mendis said.
"You're more than that" Meriel said with a chuckle "you're gorgeous!"

"you think?" he asked.
"Yeah," Meri said, putting on her clothes.
"Thank you!" he said.

"Watch you guard Caldon," said Trias nearby as he taught Caldon to use a sword.
"Caldon said "no fair! You're taller than me!"
"That is your greatest advantage," said Trias "use your height and your speed and your ability to move silently to your advantage! All of you Underwoods seem to have super speed! I have seen your brother dodging objects that should have hit him that is your Underwoods advantage!"
"Mendis is just fast, he's half-elven," said Caldon "also he uses his powers a fair bit".
"Yeah," said Trias with a chuckle "but no it is more, you, like him, can anticipate things before they happen, seems to me you might also have some of that power!"
Mendis came over tying his hair back and pulled out his own sword and ignited it, Mendis was still getting the knack and the feel on how to use his strange blade.
"Trias is right," Mendis said, "here I will show you, care to have a bout with me, Trias?"
"Sure!" said Trias.
Their swords connected Trias's magical blade and Mendis Psiblade, which sizzled.
"You are getting good on that," Trias said then.
Mendis said, "yeah for some reason, it seems to enhance my abilities and respond to my touch better than an ordinary sword ever did!"
"I dread to think what someone who knew more about the strange blade of yours was ever to meet, someone who actually also knows how to wield one".
"Yes," said Mendis turning away "I will be back in a second" he walked up to his magical bag and pulled out some clean clothes he found a light coloured loose tunic. A pair of loose matching trousers and what looked like a long flowing cloak/coat/overrobe whatever and what looked like a belt, he couldn't remember seeing them before but Meri had probably packed them for him, truth was he didn't really know the full contents of his magical bag half the time, he was always finding stuff he didn't know he had in it or couldn't remember putting in there, the other bag was Tevons.
He put the outfit on and found it was a perfect fit, hmm maybe not, might it had been a present or something he didn't remember receiving, well whatever it fitted him well and they were clean.
The belt had some interesting and useful stuff on it and was also clearly magical, including a perfectly new and obviously magical set of lock picking tools, a length of cord, which was also clearly magical and was probably strong enough to hold someone.
Mendis got dressed and found an area for his Psiblade as well on it and he added a pair of soft boots, like most, Halflings Mendis preferred to walk barefooted mostly but he wasn't averse to wearing shoes and even a Halfling's feet tough as they were got blistered and hurt after 12 hours walking, he noticed that the cloak left his wings unhampered.
Caldon and Trias were having a bout and clearly, Trias was winning due to Caldon's general inexperience.
Meri clad in clean clothes herself smiled as she joined Mendis and said: "Caldon obviously needs more practice".
"Lots more practice!" Mendis agreed, "however Trias is right, he does anticipate things like I do".
Meri said "yeah".
"Trias is clearly the master," Mendis said with a chuckle as Trias expertly parried one of Caldon's enthusiastic thrusts, "I think poor old Caldon gets by with more enthusiasm rather than actual skill" Meri nodded she had to agree, Mendis was by no means a master swordsman but he wasn't too bad at using a sword, Mendis like most Halflings preferred daggers, a sling or his bow.
"Way to go Caldon!" Mendis yelled encouragement to his brother, Varharland noticing his garb raised an eyebrow so Mendis was an Adept, was he? As he recognised the outfit that Mendis had on and clearly, he had no idea that he was of the Order, not that the knowledge would do him much good on Faerun.
Skyla was one herself but preferred the Powerstaff over their more traditional weapon which was the Psiblade, but she also had a Psiblade and knew how to use it.
The Adepts were an order of Peacekeepers and psychic warriors throughout the known Multiverse in another dimension and that was just one of the names they were known by.
Varharland remembered the Adepts of the Path, from his own adventures throughout the universe in another time and dimension, he had been one himself in another time and place, but had long ago lost his Psiblade, well not lost it exactly, he was sure he still had it somewhere buried in amongst his horde somewhere in his lair in the Snowflake Mountains, he just couldn't remember where he had put it! And hadn't seen it for years! Or had put a thought to the Order for centuries ever since he had left that dimension, somewhere in his dimly remembered past, he suspected that he was a lot older than he said he was.
Mendis clearly had no idea what it was, Faerunean born and bred Mendis was a practitioner of the Invisible Art on Faerun and his status as Adept was pretty much useless, it was probably better in a way that he didn't know! Not even Skyla admitted to been an Adept  on Faerun as she knew it meant nothing on Toril.
"So you're an Adept of the Path, are you Mendis?" Varharland mused the outfit suited him, it was a shame he didn't know the full meaning of what been one was, if Mendis was in another dimension he would be respected wherever he went.
Varharland smiled, poor Mendis, the things he didn't know!
Mendis wandered into the ruins, inside the ruins, which were strangely intact, and whose doorframes were low set, suggesting that the original inhabitants of the ruins hadn't been much taller than Mendis was.
The inside showed signs of age and wear and tear but the walls were intact, the first thing Mendis noticed was their beautiful carvings, which Darkstar (scholar that he was) was currently examining.
"it is in the same language as the towers that we found on Sithicus" Darkstar replied to Mendis's unspoken question, which certainly suggested that the Drow twins were also Psionic.
"Who were they?" Mendis asked.
"The city was called Zenith," said Darkstar.
"How do you recognise the writing?"
"Comprehend languages," Darkstar said with a chuckle, "the language is not Torillian".
"Oh," said Mendis.
"They were called the Amusian and judging from the doorframe were a short-statured folk like you," Darkstar said "the evil of this Plane killed them all or corrupted them, they left the city it is kinda sad really, noone could help them" he stood up he could stand up as the ceiling were high enough for the average person to stand, Darkstar like most of his race was a compact 5.4 and like his twin was wiry and compact.
Darkstar didn't have the Goddess given strength his twin had but Darkstar was far from weak, trained as a Battlemage, Darkstar could and did pull his own in a fight.
Mendis nodded "yes, it is sad".
"I was going to open that door over there," said Darkstar indicating a closed stone door.
"I could probably pick the lock easily enough," Mendis said pulling out his lockpicks and examine the door within minutes he had it opened "there!"
"You are sure handy to have Mendis," said Darkstar with a grin.
Mendis shrugged "it's a hobby! And it suits our purposes!"
"yeah".
"Tevon is the trained thief though, not I," Mendis said, opening the door.
They entered the room, Mendis following Darkstar, strangely this room was pretty much untouched probably because it had been sealed up as they entered it lit up magically.
"Wow!" said Darkstar.
"This looks like an honour roll," Mendis said indicating what looked like a wall with names on it, and all along the wall were busts of what looked like elves and at the end of the hall stood the statue of short-statured elf in robes.
"That obviously what they looked like," said Darkstar, he looked at Mendis "you know they kind of look like you do" as the statue looked a bit like Mendis.
"Or a Kender' said Mendis "I look the way I do because I'm a Half-elf," he bent down and looked over the plaque and made a gesture which Darkstar recognised.
"You know read and comprehend languages as well?" he asked.
"Seen you cast it a few times," Mendis said, "I copied the gestures".
"I see," said Darkstar.
"Wow!" came a voice they both turned and saw Gus walk in "this looks like a Hall of Heroes or something".
"Yeah," said Darkstar he was starting to get a liking for the well-educated Half-Orc warrior, he may look like a Half-Orc, but Gus had the soul of a scholar and was very intelligent.
"Agreed," said Mendis, he was also growing to like Gus and had a feeling they all were.
"Who were they?' Gus asked.
"A race called the Amusian," said Darkstar.
Gus walked up to statue "here is a monument to Zanos, the one who led us here but also unknowing led us to our doom and death' he read.
"You can read the language?" Darkstar asked.
Gus nodded and indicated his head "permanent Comprehend and Read languages spell, I grew up in Candlekeep, remember?"
"Yeah," said Darkstar, he was growing to like Gus but still didn't know what to make of Gus, the quiet-spoken, well-groomed and dressed, well-educated and some would say almost handsome Half-Orc ( Gus wasn't as ugly or as rough-looking like most of his kind) wasn't like most other Half-Orcs Darkstar had met, most Half-Orcs tended to be on the dirty, rude and not exactly bright, not Gus though.