By the time the members of Wefpub got back downstairs, the battle outside was well under way. The clerics of Crystal Meir had already spread out wide. They surrounded the army of zombies, forming a cup shape. A confused mass of other beasts unwittingly formed a trapping lid to their formation. This crowd seemed to hold in the zombies while LaBairne tried to strategically withdraw them from the melee with the priests. With scores of beasts pressing in on them, LaBairne found it difficult to escape the ring of clerics.
LaBairne felt the sudden release with the destruction of Rai'dley's sceptre of undead control. While the zombies were and always would be under the direct control of LaBairne, LaBairne suddenly realized he was no longer under anyone's control. LaBairne could visualize the destruction of that cursed sceptre of undead control that held his will to Rai'dley who bore it. In fact, in his dreams, he had imagined the destruction of both that sceptre and Rai'dley at his own hands. He didn't know how the deed was finally done, but he didn't really care. It was gone, the only thing that held him here, and that was all that mattered. He was now on his own with the army at his disposal. This being the case, he would be damned if he would waste his army here fighting these clerics.
He ordered the troops of his undead army into a wedge shape, and used this to push the beasts that hounded them aside. Those that dared stand in his way were left behind as a corpse. Most of the beasts that caught sight of LaBairne tried to flee and escape. If the zombies didn't get these beasts, the clerics did.
The zombie lord didn't need the chanting and the holy symbols of the clerics to convince him to leave, but these things had terrible effects on his ranks. Zombies exploded at the sight of the holy symbols, and many fled in terror, breaking the cleanly aligned formations he fought to achieve. Holes developed that needed to be filled with more zombies, or else the press of the monsters would slow them down. LaBairne was a dedicated general, and under his careful guidance, the first of his undead ranks broke free of the mob.
The army of zombies moved swiftly, once freed from the clamor of the monsters. They ravaged through the camps of those beasts that threatened to trample upon them, and joined those who had lost the will to fight. This only hastened the speed of these retreating numbers. They spread out, wandering off in their efforts to escape. LaBairne would easily regroup his army once they were free and away from this accursed place.
The clerics rallied at the retreating of their foes. They brandished their holy symbols proudly and called out the names of their gods. They sung loud hymns of faith that rumbled in the ears of the retreating zombies. They battled off the increasing numbers of beasts before them, but found that they quickly lost nerve for the battle too. As they began to sense the death of Rai'dley, and lost their mystical compulsion for the battle, they turned and ran after the undead army. The beasts began to run and soon it was a routing.
The members of Wefpub joined the clerics in the pursuit, eager for their turn at the slaughter. But the beasts, which were more familiar with the rugged terrain, quickly out-distanced them all.
The dragons too felt not only the destruction of the sceptre, as it was a powerful magical item, but also of the death of their mother, the mage Rai'dley. With strong wills of their own, and finding little left here to defend, they made a collective agreement to disperse and head back to their own lairs. They had gained significantly in their powers, and couldn't wait to take advantage of their newfound strengths. Plans and dreams of chaos and terror wistfully filled their minds as they parted ways and headed back to the four corners of the lands.
With the clerics of Crystal Meir spreading out in hunting bands to chase down the remaining monsters and zombies that might stay in the area, and the dark forces of evil retreating back into the shadows, the members of Wefpub returned to Rai'dley's castle. With heavy hearts, they buried their dark elven friend on a high perch where he was sure to catch the first rays of the morning sunrise. Amanda and Allison said devoted prayers for the man, and each had many heart-felt praises with which to send him on his way to the gods.
Back inside the castle, they returned to Rai'dley's lab and quarters. They plundered the place for anything that might be of any great value, which was a lot. They found wagons abandoned in ramshackle stables below, and loaded the loot onto these. There were many chests filled with gems and jewels, and piles of gold and other coins, which had been sacrifices to the mage from the visiting hordes of beasts. As was often the case with any mage, there was of course dozens of magical items to be found.
Some of the more prized trophies they reclaimed were Rai'dley's spell books, which listed many spells that hadn't been used for a century or more, and the Orb of the Righteous. Corinna packed the ancient spell books away and looked long into the Orb. It was a rather simple looking sphere of crystal. Even though the Orb was of fantastic, clear quality, it hardly looked like anything so powerful as to be able to destroy all of Carrona. She packed this away carefully, and placed it with the other items, securing it in the middle of their load.
When all was done and everything taken care of, Corinna retrieved their horses from her magical bag of holding. They attempted to fasten Gerrod's horse to the wagon. Misty looked about for her master, and when she didn't see him, grew very agitated. She reared and bucked, and almost ran off on them, before Corinna could work the magic of the bag and stuff the horse back in. They had forgotten how temperamental Misty could be without Gerrod's calming, peaceful hand. The ranger always had a special way with the horse that mystified the others.
Smokey and Fire generously took up the task of hauling the wagons down the mountain. As Allison rode, she missed the comforting arms of the drow that had held her unnecessarily tight on their ride to Crystal Meir. She found herself missing the warmth of his breath on her neck, and the smooth tones of his voice in her ear. She spent a great amount of that ride crying, but no one questioned her about it. They shared in the pain of her loss.
Corinna often found herself pulling the large diamond from her pocket just to look at it. Gerrod was there to greet her with a smile every time. She kissed the gem where Gerrod's face was, and talked to him, even though he couldn't hear her words or return her sentiments. "I'm sorry, Gerrod. I'm sorry for everything. I know you don't want me to blame myself for this, but I do. I never should have left you, so many years ago. I do love my magic, I still do; but it can never be more important to me than you are. It pained me terribly to leave you. When you never showed back up for Reunion, I couldn't bring myself to go and look for you. I feared that you hated me for what I'd done. I wouldn't have blamed you if you did. You always loved me, didn't you?" She bent over the diamond and gave it another long, passionate kiss. "I love you too," she whispered, tears trickling freely down both cheeks.
The ride around and down the rugged Bellow's Mountain was a long and hard one. They traveled non-stop. They couldn't wait until they re-entered the capital city. They just wanted to put that castle, that mountain, the whole thing, behind them. It was as if the distance would make the nightmare go away.
Amanda, Allison, Corinna, and Ace faced the High Priest's Council and gave their report of the battle and how the clerics were busy dispersing the remnants of the evil army. They presented the Churches that provided the army of clerics with gifts of coin and gems. The rest of the treasure was identified and auctioned to the local mages. Many of the more powerful or rare pieces, of course, the members of Wefpub agreed to let Corinna keep. Together, they split the profits from the auction.
Amanda attempted to return Derik's Mace, but the High Priest's Council bid she keep it. The members of Wefpub were all given special honors in an extravagant celebration with too much food and drink and dancing. Every time the festivities began to die down, another band of clerics would return from their hunting, and the party would start right back up again.
Corinna spent much of this time away from the galas. She insisted on staying in her room studying Rai'dley's spell bo
oks. She knew the secrets to Gerrod's release were hidden somewhere in those tomes, and she refused to stop searching until she discovered them. She invited the assistance and company of fellow high-ranking mages of the city, and together they shared the knowledge found in those ancient volumes.
Finally she found the spell she knew Rai'dley had used, a Trap the Soul spell. She read the ancient text carefully, translating from the arcane language of magic. She familiarized herself with it to almost memorize the spell. According to the text, in order to free the person trapped within the gem, the gem had to be broken.
Corinna grabbed Ace from one of the parties that night and pulled him off to the side. "Where's your axe?" she asked breathlessly.
"It be right her, girl. Calm down now, and tell me what this is all about," Ace assured her in soothing tones.
"I found the key to getting Gerrod out of the diamond. All we have to do is break the gem. If we can break the diamond, then Gerrod will be freed," she gasped between heavy breaths.
Ace held the girl, studying her convictions. He had seen the precious gem that Gerrod was held in and had appraised it at being worth a king's ransom. He was reluctant to ruin the perfectly cut stone if he didn't have to. Ace had a great appreciation for such things. But the desperate look in the girl's eyes told him what he needed to know. Both Corinna and Gerrod were like children to him, and he would sacrifice anything for them. If that meant breaking a priceless diamond to do it, then so be it. "All right, girl," he hesitated. "I have to warn ya', though. A diamond's the hardest thing to chop into. I don't know if even my old axe can do the trick."
"I know it can, Ace. You've chopped through anything and everything with that blade of yours. That is a dwarven blade, isn't it?" she teasingly questioned its integrity.
"Well of course it is!" he answered indignantly. "Of course I'll try. I was just saying. If any blade can cut through that rock, it'd be me axe."
Corinna bent down and gave the old dwarf a quick kiss on the cheek before he could object. He blustered about her carrying on so, but she knew how much he really liked it.
They worked their way through the crowd that gathered in the ballroom of the church and saved Amanda and Allison from their "proper duties" as hostesses. The two thankfully followed Corinna and Ace back to her room where Corinna filled them in on the plan. She tried to show them what she had found in the ancient books, but the strange writing and illustrations were all just gibberish to the uninitiated. They held the greatest confidence in Corinna's authority about such matters, and anxiously gathered around while Ace prepared the stone and himself.
Ace had training in gem cutting, and with a professional eye, he studied the large stone. He looked past the face of his friend and the glaring reflection of the gem's brilliant, priceless surface. Ace almost became one with the stone, allowing it to speak to him and describe for him its very facets. After a considerable time of anticipation, Ace prepared his mighty blade.
He gave the old battle-axe blade another coat of fine oil, lovingly caring for the edge and breadth of the weapon. He read the ancient runes carved intricately in its black handle and drew strength from them. He spoke the old dwarven words reverently, with a gentle, easy rhythm. The blade seemed to glow with a soft light as if the gods were looking down upon them at this moment. With a prayer of meditation to Moradin, the god of all dwarves, Ace knew he was ready.
The diamond was placed in a cradle on the floor. They feared the strength of the stone floor was the only thing strong enough to stand up against the coming blow. With a prayer on all their lips, Ace held the weapon high above his head and came down on the stone with the might of his weight driving the strike. Bright white sparks flew at the striking of the sharpened edge, blinding the casual observers from the effects of the attempt.
But Ace's smile told the story.
When the dust from the stone floor finally settled, there was the huge diamond, cleft cleanly in two pieces. A mist of vapors billowed from the wound in the gem. It hovered above the floor, churning and boiling where it sat. It finally coalesced, generating the vague form of their friend. It eventually condensed back into the familiar form of the ranger. They held their breaths in anticipation until he blinked his eyes. Everyone cheered.
Gerrod was alive.
Corinna rushed to Gerrod's side and held him tightly. She pressed her lips to his and praised all the gods, thankful just to hold him once more. Gerrod was free. "Oh, Gerrod. I was so scared I'd lost you. I was afraid I'd never have the chance to tell you -- I love you."
Gerrod wasn't sure he'd heard Corinna right, and considered for a moment that he had been dropped back down in a different world, or perhaps he was simply dreaming. She kissed him again, and he felt the passion in that kiss. He wasn't dreaming.
Soon all his other friends gathered around him, each expressing their thankfulness for his safe return to them. When everyone had gone through the line, Gerrod asked about Dak'gnu. It was his turn to be saddened by their collective loss. He held such hopes for the drow warlock, and he expressed his disappointment in tears.
The party that night was the greatest yet. Two more hunting parties who announced farther regions from the city were clear of the impending beasts joined them. The army of beasts headed back deep into the heart of the Lost Lands to the West. The other party of hunters reported that they found traces that the zombie army had regrouped and headed southwest. For the citizens of Crystal Meir, this was nothing but good news. With the honorable addition of Gerrod as another hero to the festivities, they rejoiced all night.
The next day, the gods issued a severe reminder that the adventure wasn't over with yet. A tremendous earthquake shook the region of Crystal Lake. It brought the ceiling of that magnificent ballroom down in a pile of rubble. Many other parts of the lakeside city were buried in an avalanche of snow that had gathered on top of Bellow's Mountain. While they had recovered the Orb of the Righteous, Corinna still had to locate where it belonged and find some way to return it to its rightful place. Only then would the eternal winter end and nature be able to right itself.
The last of the hunting parties returned that next day, having dug through the heavy snows of the avalanche. They confirmed that LaBairne's undead army of zombies was still going strong, and headed toward Oswegonia. They said the army moved without tiring or taking breaks, and so had out-distanced the tiring men. They had also run short of supplies and gotten lost several times in the harsh winter storms that continued to torture the lands. It was "only by the grace of the gods" that they found their way back at all.
And it seemed that if all this wasn't enough, a lone scout came on the King's Highway from the south, and reported to the High Priest's Council that Oswegonia had fallen to the rule of one Raygan, a thief who raped the proud city for its riches, let crime and thugs run the streets, and enslaved all the men to work in nearby mines. The messenger claimed to be from an underground organization of rebels. They fought to throw Raygan out of power, but lacked the weapons and magic they needed to accomplish this. They asked for help from anyone willing to give it.
This news sent Ace packing. His thoughts were only of his family and the inn. "The gods knows what that man's done to my city," he raved with a tear in his eye as he quickly threw his things into his backpack. Ace hardly waited for others to group together to join his cause, swearing he was "going to kill that Raygan once and for all."
With the reports that LaBairne also seemed to be heading in that direction, Amanda and Allison decided to join Ace for the trip. They had to rid the lands of LaBairne before that powerful undead creature could cause any more chaos. With their god's blessing, and the Church's, they headed out that same day.
Gerrod stayed with Corinna. He pledged to help her return the Orb to its rightful place in order to put an end to the madness about them. Besides, now that he had finally gotten the love of his life back, he was determined not to lose her again. A
fter a week's studying of the piles of manuscripts Corinna had collected from Rai'dley's lab, she knew she wouldn't be able to solve this puzzle on her own. This divination required very high magics, and the only place she knew that she could find this help was in Midkemia. She knew that the Arch-Mage and the other elven elders there could help her decipher the information
Corinna and Gerrod thanked the High Priest of Crystal Meir for all the help and generosity they had bestowed on them. They packed up wagons with supplies and the magical goods. Riding in a coach provided by the Church of Corellon Larethian, they headed for Midkemia. They traveled with a small band of escorts, just to make sure they met with no trouble on the way. With the King's Highway being the way that it was, not to mention the additional chaos of the world, they felt better for the company of the band.
Lolth informed Mother Fa'Langa of Rai'dley's defeat. The First Mother and the goddess shared their disappointment, but neither one were actually dissatisfied with the outcome. There would be other plans, other opportunities, and always other schemes. They were not concerned. Besides, they were comfortable with the way things were in their Underworld city. No one really wanted any changes, though they were sure to come.
Gerrod smiled as he enjoyed the plush ride in the coach next to Corinna. It was a long road to Midkemia. Rai'dley had tried to point out how friends were a weakness; how they could be used against a person. She tried to torment Corinna by making her friends suffer, but Gerrod didn't know. In the end, it was only through her friends that Corinna had succeeded in defeating Rai'dley. It seemed that he had spent so many years avoiding his friends that he never considered how much his friends could have been helping him.
A warm glow passed through him. He dreamt of the day they returned the Orb to its place and were able to meet their friends in Oswegonia again.
"What a Reunion that will be," he thought.
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