B2 – Chapter 50: Kidnapped!

As the sun began to creep over the horizon of the Fey Realm, Tristan headed down to his workshop area and used his new Perfect Harvest spell to assist in his collection of the medicinal herbs. Taking them to the alchemy station, he set to making potions and imbuing them into elixirs. The more herbs I powder and boil into the solution, the more potent, he reminded himself.

He elected to go with the measurements that would require the most ground herbs, but the knowledge of how powerful the supreme variant of the healing and essence elixirs more than cemented the wisdom of pooling his resources.

The resulting quantities that he then performed the Infuse Elixir spell upon were enough to make three of each type – essence and healing – both types the supreme variant. He ensured they were sealed tightly in the vials before getting his gear ready. He had to add an additional leather strap to hold the staff, but within a short order he had all his weapons and gear on his person. Going to the dirt circle, he glanced around for anyone who was returning to the Mortal Realm with him. After waiting a few minutes, he shrugged, poured essence into his ring, and returned.

Immediately, as the crashing of the waves met his ears, he felt the band around his ear vibrate. Spinning his essence crucible, he poured essence to the silver cuff around that part of his anatomy. And a panicked voice met his ears. Felicity’s voice. “The Archon’s been captured! Where have you been?!”

Tristan began running toward the town, “I just got out of the Fey Realm. Shandra, you were with him, ri-”

“Can’t talk,” quietly came through. “Obadai poisoned…Unconscious.” It was Shandra’s voice, but it sounded like she had been beaten – out of breath with broken ribs as her words came out in pained gasping whispers.

“I’m tracking them,” Felicity barked. “They are taking Obadai and Shandra into the desert.”

The Admiral’s voice came over the bangle, “Lord Tristan; orders? We have coin to hire mercenaries, and sailors; but they aren’t good in a desert chase.”

“I have coin,” Tristan replied. “Felicity, keep tracking them.”

“They won’t see a thing!”

“Admiral,” Tristan continued, “I want you to go right to the Bountiful Bounties stall in the market.”

“I’ll head over right now.”

“I will meet you there. Captain Bitters? How is your voyage?”

The Vantir captain replied tersely, “Terrible mess your Archon’s in. We’re a bit aways from Schlarz. Three days at most. Then on to Yustat to deliver your letter. Your nymph friends are very pretty, by the way; they brought us the box that the Admiral has been filling me in about.”

Good, Tristan thought. At least something is going right. “Keep the Admiral informed. I’ll be in the market soon. Admiral? Tell the Bountiful Bounties representative we need all the guild members they can spare. Offer them two-thousand gold – I’ll use my personal reserves. We’re going on a rescue mission.”

“Aye aye. Getting on the longboat now.”

“Felicity, what were the exact events that you’ve been able to cobble together?”

She began a rapid rundown of events since Tristan left for the Fey Realm. She had spent most of the day post-Tristan’s departure causing havoc in the marketplace – tipping over coin containers and products, while snagging samples all the while. The Archon and Shandra had left the ship and went into town, wanting to explore the markets a bit after their day trip to the temple mount. The Archon was sampling some products from a merchant stall when he collapsed. He and Shandra were then dragged away by the merchants.

“Then, they got carried up the cliffs. Guards chased, but the kidnappers had an essence-weaver who turned the stone stairs into a slide. I flew after them. Right now, it’s twelve of them, on foot, heading across the dunes towards a big hill.”

Tristan spun his essence crucible and used his disguise form to change his features to that of his Kingdom of Bhant, tan-skinned Human appearance. Getting into the market, he beelined for the stall he had visited before. He saw the Springthaw half-breed Perry, who was just lounging at the stall next to his fat fairy dragon. I must have beaten the Admiral here, Tristan thought.

He marched up, “Hey! I need the Butchers.”

Perry glanced up, “Who are you?”

“I’m that Elf from a few days ago – bought the earth dragon stuff from you.”

“Oh…new disguise?”

“Yes. I need every Butcher at your disposal. My friends were kidnapped-”

Perry scratched his head, “I heard some commotion about that. Someone ruined a set of stairs leading up the mountain to the desert above.”

Tristan reached into his coin pouch and pulled out five hundred gold coins. “Another one-thousand, five-hundred will be paid out once my friends are saved.”

Perry’s eyes went wide, and he glanced at the fat fairy dragon next to him who shrugged and spoke to Tristan, “Two-thousand total for a rescue mission? Normally that’s not-”

Tristan reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of sapphires he had snagged from the Fey Realm bushes, slapping them in front of the fairy dragon, “This will sweeten the deal. Hurry. Every minute they go further from reach.”

Perry scooped up the gemstones and gold, putting them into a small burlap sack. “Let me close up the stall real quickly.”

As he was closing up shop, Admiral Yokain came up with four sailors all carrying weapons. “Stand aside,” he said to Tristan.

“Admiral, it’s Tristan,” he replied. “Disguised in case of assassins.”

“Understood.” He looked to Perry who had finished packing up shop, “You already hired them?”

“Yes. He’s taking us to his guild members now. Go back to the ship with the crew. I don’t want to risk them on a rescue mission. I’ll contact you if things go awry and we need to hire more mercenaries.”

Perry glanced over and waved, “Let’s go! If time is of the essence.” He took off at a jog, and Tristan followed.

They raced through the market, the fat fairy dragon flapping lazily overhead. They approached a stone structure carved into the cliffside, with the same Butcher’s Bounty emblem etched into the stone above a massive, two-paneled door. Perry pulled out a key, fit it into the lock, and opened the door.

Stolen story; please report.

Leading Tristan inside, he shut the door behind and then waved forward. “Come on and you can meet the guild.”

The interior was what Tristan expected. Stone walls and ceiling, with a smooth floor underfoot. There were hunting trophies all about – primarily long teeth, claws, and other offensive natural weaponry of the creatures that they hunted. The area was pristine, and Tristan saw an Orc woman who was sweeping the floor. She had deep, brown skin like the color of an oak cask. She glanced up, and her tusks slightly protruded up from her lower jaw, but they were filed down. “Perry, you’re back before the shop’s supposed to close.”

“Special offer,” he said as he pointed to Tristan. “His friends were kidnapped-”

“We aren’t some detective group.”

Perry raised the bag and clinked it, “Five-hundred gold coins, plus fifteen-hundred more upon completion, and a ton of sapphires.” He dumped it out onto the one of the tables, and the orc woman’s eyes went wide. “Go to the east wing, I’ll go to the west. Meet at the elevator.” He glanced at Tristan as the woman ran through a door. “We have a private elevator that uses a series of wound springs.” He pointed straight ahead, “We’ll meet you over there. Through the door, and then down the tunnel. Wait at the locked door.”

Tristan nodded as Perry took off down the tunnel opposite the woman went, shouting, “We got a contract! Big payer! Hurry up and get the gear on!”

The fat fairy dragon flew over to the table and began counting the coins, “You’re rich, you know that?”

Tristan dropped the Disguise Form, and the fairy dragon dropped the coins and his eyes went wide. “That’s right,” Tristan stated. “I rule the Fey Realm, now. You’re going to work for me for a bit.”

“Yes…sir,” the fairy dragon replied with a sigh. “What do you want me to do?”