Season of Bloom - 10. Tiefling's Twist

Lapis handed the reins of his horse to a terrified looking stableboy. Scratching Khemet behind the ears, the amurrun let out a deep sigh, looking at the large manor where Kiba and Faes were no doubt trying to find their next adventure. Or trying to get money out of the locals.

Khemet darted forward suddenly, eliciting a scream from the human, and a squeak. His neck bent, and he started licking a wriggling body, Kiba’s thin voice scratching at Lapis’ ears.

“Off cat! Kiba is not for licking!”

The amurrun grumbled quietly, and the tiger backed off, laying down with a quiet huff.

Kiba scrambled away from the large cat, the kobold wiping drool off his face.

“Master Cat, Kiba was to tell you the elf lady wanted to speak,” he said, watching Khemet warily.

“I’ll be there as soon as Khemet gets some real food,” Lapis sighed.

“I… I will take the Khemet and get him fed,” Kiba gulped. “A boar was hunted for him…”

A short chuff escaped Lapis, Khemet rising again before bumping the kobold’s shoulder.

“He’ll follow you and remain in the room you are in,” Lapis said. “Be careful; I can promise no more than that.”

He scratched the tiger’s head with a soft murmur, before heading toward the front of the manor. A human bowed low to him, shining plate armour showing a few scuff marks and dents that seemed impossible to remove.

“Greetings. I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Kesten Garress. Octavia wishes to speak with you in the regent’s office. Please follow me,” the man said, rising before turning on his heel.

“It is a pleasure to meet you,” Lapis purred, his eyes trailing down the man’s body as he followed him into the manor.

The amurrun’s tail lifted slightly, his butt flexing almost involuntarily at the sight of the guard in his fitted armour. Tearing his eyes away from the man’s rear, Lapis took a deep breath, centering himself as they passed through the throne room.

Entering the regent’s office, he frowned at the sight of Faes standing in front of Octavia’s desk. The half-drow gave him a short bow, the motion only serving to confuse Lapis further.

“Good afternoon Lapis,” Octavia beamed at him, the half-elf seemingly filled with cheer today. “We have a proposal for you. You know that Baron Cassiel has… passed, and we are in need of a new baron. Cassiel’s council has decided to appoint a new baron, and you came up as the clear choice for the position after your actions in Trobold.”

Lapis stared at her mutely. It sounded like they wanted him to be a baron? That made no sense; they didn’t even know him.

“Now, I understand that this is probably alarming. Faes put you up for consideration, and you seemed the best choice. You don’t have to agree to this; Valerie is perfectly willing to be baron instead,” Octavia added quickly. “You will have the council’s support, and Faes mentioned that he would help you understand the politics of the River Kingdoms.”

“That is correct. You will find me a most valuable ally,” Faes said, a smile appearing within his red hood.

Lapis shivered slightly, understanding slowly dawning upon him. Faes was the baron, but they wouldn’t let him be the baron, so they had made Lapis the baron instead.

“I… don’t know how to be a baron,” he said uncertainly.

“Neither did Cassiel,” Octavia smiled encouragingly. “You both value the people, you both strive towards what is right. The rest can be learned. For now however, you look like you could use some washing up. There’s more blood on you than there was on the group that returned from Trobold.”

“I ran into some bandits on the way back from the nymph’s home. She was not happy to see me either,” Lapis muttered, ears folding back.

“We expected as much,” Octavia frowned. “For what it’s worth, I’m sorry Regongar made you go out there. He seems to have some trouble accepting you.”

Lapis shrugged it off.

“I have trouble with people wherever I go, either because I’m a cat, religious, or because of Khemet. I’m used to it.”

“Well, you have a place here, one I hope you will be able to call a home soon,” Octavia smiled. “That is, if you’ll accept the responsibilities of being a baron. I promise, there are rewards as well.”

Lapis frowned slightly, glancing at Faes.

“Khemet will have all the food he desires, and you will never have to worry about him hurting again,” Faes pointed out.

“Okay, I’ll do it. But I don’t even know where to start.”

“Oh that’s easy. You need to head up to Restov and speak with Jamandi Aldori.”

“I’ll get started as soon as Kiba has finished feeding Khemet.”

“You fed Kiba to Khemet?!” Faes asked sharply, and Lapis’ ears folded.

“No, he’s getting Khemet food,” the amurrun denied quickly.

“Well, while you wait, perhaps you can help Kaessi. I know Cassiel wanted to help her search an abandoned mine for something,” Octavia suggested. “I can handle the baron’s responsibilities for the next few days, and we can get together a team to see about claiming the southern Narlmarches. It will help the land recover from the trolls if they have a leader.”

“We could take Valerie north with us, to deal with that letter that came in too,” Faes added.

“That’s not a bad idea, if Valerie is not opposed to it,” Octavia agreed.

“I’ll discuss it with her. Lapis, you talk to Kaessi, she’s a tiefling in the capital,” Faes said. “We’ll have Kiba meet us out at the gates, and Linzi and Tristian can join us on the way.”

Lapis nodded silently, relieved that he wasn’t having to make any life or death choices. He had the feeling those would come later, but for now, he would take whatever peace he could.

The fighter lowered her head in a bow as Faes approached, the half-drow pulling a letter from his robes.

“Do you have orders for me?” she asked.

“Not quite. In fact, we’ve been ordered to release you from your service to us by the paladins of the Eternal Rose,” Faes said, the raise of his eyebrow hidden by his hood.

Valerie’s scowl deepened, marring her face as she stared at the letter in the kineticist’s hand.

“Really?” she said icily. “Might I take a look at this letter?”

“Be my guest.”

Faes handed the monogrammed parchment over, the fighter sneering at the expensive sheet.

“Fredero Sinnet… one of the true paladins of Shelyn, always right up to the bitter end,” she spat, scanning the letter. “Always saying I was destined to remain with the order, even as I was packing my bags. He will not take no for an answer. No, this is something I will have to handle myself. Please give the new baron my apologies. It seems I need to travel to Oleg’s trading post.”

“Or we could ignore this letter completely. Or even throw these paladins off our lands. We’d be well within our rights,” Faes smirked.

“No, it would not do for us to gain a reputation as uncultured barbarians,” Valerie denied.

“Very well, pack whatever you need. Lapis and I will be leaving for Restov within the hour,” Faes said.

Lapis stepped into the dark building, frowning at the shadows that seemed to lurk in every corner of the room he found himself in. A tiefling approached, her fiery eyes matching the fierce heat in Faes’ eyes.

“Greetings. It is not often I find a stranger wanders into my home,” she purred, her accent thick with the tongue of the eastern deserts.

“I am Cassiel’s replacement, I suppose,” Lapis frowned. “You are Kaessi, right? His journal spoke of you, and of an abandoned mine?”

“Replacement? And why would Cassiel require…”

Her eyes widened, a soft glow surrounding her as she gasped in surprised horror.

“No… not now…!”

Lapis blinked in shock as the tiefling seemed to get sucked into a glowing portal, a near identical tiefling emerging a split second later. Glowing blue eyes met the amurrun’s gaze, a sudden fear taking the brilliant orbs.

“Who are you?” she demanded.

“What just happened? It looked like some kind of divine intervention,” Lapis frowned.

The tiefling closed her eyes, fists balled in the grip of emotion, rage, relief, Lapis wasn’t quite sure which.

“I knew it couldn’t last. Why would he make me agree to something so impossible?” she breathed.

Sighing, the tiefling opened her eyes, motioning toward the crackling fire in the hearth.

“Too late now. Come what may… perhaps it is best to have someone on my side. Come, you should hear the whole tale, and where better to tell a tale than beside a pleasant fire?”

Lapis nodded, stepping past her into the home. He knelt beside the hearth, a position he was comfortable with after a lifetime spent on his knees in prayer, as the tiefling took a comfortable seat across from him.

“First, you should know the person you call Kaessi does not exist,” she sighed quietly.

“I never knew Kaessi,” Lapis shrugged. “I only know you as you are now. I am Lapis, if that helps at all. Priest of Bastet and Sekhmet, though I’ve learned Desna’s name is better revered in these parts of the world.”

“It helps more than you might think,” the tiefling smiled slightly. “I am Kalikke, and I am from Qadira.”

She stared into the flames thoughtfully.

“Fire seems to follow tales as naturally as one would draw breath. All my memories of parents telling stories, or travellers trading tales, all seem done around soothing flame. My sister, Kanerah, and I, we used to sneak in and listen to their tales. Never invited, not hellspawn. Tieflings are feared in the desert, unblessed by Sarenrae and reviled. We left our home when we were thirteen, travelling to a nearby city and leaving behind only sighs of relief.

“My sister is the Silent Flame, a cold fire, yet just as deadly. Yet I am the river, bringing life to weary travellers… and killing them just as surely when I flood. Our lives are bound to Nethys; his divine grace is what gives us life, in turns. When one is awake, the other sleeps in a plane, and when she wakes, she takes the other’s place, as you just saw.”

“Cassiel’s journal mentions you came here for a shrine, though Octavia mentioned a mine. I’m not sure which it is, but my guess is there is something at that location that will help you, right?” Lapis asked.

“More of a treasury,” Kalikke frowned. “Kanerah was supposed to tell this to Cassiel, but… well, things happened, I suppose. There is a treasure there, stolen by Taldan conquerors, and belonging to Nethys. The Disk of the Eclipse. Nethys was once a mortal wizard before his ascension-”

“I am aware,” Lapis said with a slight grin. “I come from Osirion, and he is Pharaoh Khemet’s god.”

“Khemet… he is the tiger following you around, is he not?” Kalikke asked with a matching smile. “Bold of you to name a tiger for a Pharaoh.”

“He acted like one in his youth, but he’s settled some,” Lapis said. “This disk, do you think it will help Kanerah leave the plane?”

“No. It was supposed to be used as an anchor in planar travels, but it could only be used by mages connected by unbreakable bonds. And finding it and figuring out how to use it, that should certainly appease our divine patron. After all, Nethys appreciates the pursuit of knowledge,” Kalikke said. “We believe it holds the key to understanding our planar conundrum.”

“Where exactly is this place? Octavia said it was to the north, but no more than that.”

“It was an ancient Taldan town, established by the Fifth Army of Exploration. Founded on a turbulent river, it was washed away by floods some time ago. My friends discovered the ruins when the waters receded a year ago, but were frightened off by the monsters that lurked in the area.”

“If this will help you, I’ll do everything I can to see you get the disk,” Lapis said. “We’re heading north in a few hours, if you want to join us.”

“Oh no, I’ll make sure you can find the place, but this is an adventure we will need to go on our own. Nethys made a rule when he helped my sister and I; no one is supposed to know about this, not even my friends. I know you know already, but I would like to keep it between us as long as we can,” Kalikke said quickly. “I’ll meet you there, and we can fight off these monsters together.”

“I am wary of travelling on my own, but I’m sure I could send the rest of the party north without me, then catch up later. As long as you don’t mind Khemet coming with us,” Lapis added.

“Of course not. I would welcome a brave tiger companion,” Kalikke smiled.

The tiger tore into the boar hungrily, Kiba flinching with every bite. He hung back nervously, trying to stay as far away from those teeth as possible. The cat could probably swallow him whole if he wanted to, and the kobold did not want him to.

A voice spoke up sharply, Kiba leaping away from the wood pile he’d been sitting on. Wincing as a splinter got lodged between his scales, the kobold reached back and weaseled it out of its hiding spot in his loincloth, tossing it away roughly.

“Hey pet, I got you something,” the dark one said, hood hiding his expression as he approached with a small chain shirt in his hands.

Shoving it at Kiba, the half-drow smirked as the kobold nearly fumbled the gift, his hood hiding the barest hint of a glimmer within. Kiba gazed at the dark one’s hood, peering within it in hopes of seeing the glimmer one more time, but the kineticist turned his head abruptly.

“Make sure it fits. It’s supposed to resize as needed, but you can never be sure with magic. It might resize to be just small enough to crush you like the lizard you are.”

“Kiba can’t crush. Great One won’t let him,” the kobold denied confidently.

“Keep thinking that if you like. I’m sure that’s exactly what the kobold king thought before we squashed his pet troll.”

Kiba gulped, before shaking his head quickly.

“Kiba fight troll too,” he said.

“Kiba got lucky,” the half-drow smirked.

A rumble from the tiger put an end to their conversation, Kiba just noticing the tall warrior in plate armour standing nearby. He slipped his new shirt on over his bare body, frowning as the cold metal rings settled over his scales.

The fighter scoffed, wandering off as the half-drow stared after her. She returned a few minutes later, a heavy shirt in her hand. Tossing it to the kobold, the fighter stared at him for a moment, and Kiba got the message.

Pulling the new shirt on over the chains, he heard a disgusted snort, frowning as the fighter turned away.

“This is shirt, it goes on Kiba’s body. Why is she mad?”

“It goes under the armour,” the dark one sighed. “And you call yourself a hero.”

“Kiba is hero. You just don’t see,” the kobold snapped.

“At this rate, I’m thinking the troll laughed himself to death…”

Glowering at the half-drow as he fixed his armour, Kiba brightened slightly at the sight of the cat approaching him, the halfling and the healer following behind him.

“We are leaving north for a place called Sorrowflow, at the confluence of the Crooked and Shrike rivers. Faes, you will lead the party to the trading post from there; I have an errand to run with a friend, and I will meet up with you to travel to Restov after,” Lapis said, Kiba surprised when he spoke in words the kobold could understand.

Horses were brought out, Kiba frowning as he realized he would have to ride. Turning toward the halfling’s horse, he was stopped by Lapis, the cat grinning slightly.

“I need your help, Kiba. I want Khemet to learn how to carry a rider into battle.”

The kobold yelped as he was suddenly hoisted up by Lapis, the cat setting him on top of the tiger’s back. He gripped the coarse neck fur tightly, Khemet shaking his coat violently in an effort to dislodge the weight on his back. The tiger let out a rough chuff as Lapis pet his head, slowly settling into his new role as the cat grunted to him quietly. It would take the kobold on his back a lot longer to come to terms with the position.