Matthew Nesheim
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Chapter 49: Calista - Krakoam Pass
🕑 Added 2023-11-06 18:00:02 +0000 UTCIt was mid-day when Lefty pulled up short. Lefty noticed it first and tugged the back of Grumner’s cloak and soon the entire party had stopped and were looking to see what had caused the wizard to halt.
“What was that?” Lefty asked.
“What was what?” Calista asked.
“That sound. Did you hear it?” the wizard asked.
She replied, “No, what did it sound like?”
Lefty spoke quietly. “It sounded like a dozen little hooves walking over the rocks.”
Calista made a face as she wrapped her hand around the hilt of her sword, “Well that’s not creepy at all.”
“Did you see anything?” Grumner asked.
“No,” Lefty said.
“Any idea what kind of creature would be out here?” Cat’s Eye asked the ranger.
Grumner shrugged uncomfortably. “With a description like that? Something nasty, I reckon.”
“That’s not making me feel any better,” the goblin said.
Feathers quacked.
“Us neither.” Lefty added.
“I’m not trying to make any of you feel better,” Grumner snapped. “I’m trying to think of what the monster might be.”
They all held still as they listened, but the only sound that returned was the breeze as it whistled against the mountain. After a minute like this, Grumner waved for all of them to hide and find cover, which they did as each of them sank down behind one of the many jagged rocks that flanked the path on every side.
More waiting. More listening. More silence. Minutes passed without a sound but the wind. Finally, Grumner motioned for the rest of them to rise and a moment later they were off again, marching up the mountain in silence.
Then Cat’s Eye spoke up. “Have you considered the possibility it’s not a monster?”
Grumner raised a bushy eye brow. “What do you mean, ‘if it’s not a monster?’”
“I mean what if it’s a friendly monster or something,” Cat’s Eye said. “Like me.”
Grumner gave the goblin a withering look. “We’re on the side of a fog covered mountain on our way to a goblin infested dungeon and we just encountered the a massive goblin horde. Do you really want to bank on a hot sexy nymph walking out of the fog to give you a back rub, or do you want to be ready in case something with dozens of tiny legs comes creeping out of the fog with bad intentions?”
The goblin looked miffed. “I’m just saying that maybe the rest of you might do well to not be so judgmental once in a while.”
Lefty replied, “I don’t think it’s being judgmental so much as it’s …”
“Shhh,” Calista cut in. “There it is again!”
They all ducked down and hid against the rocks again. Calista found herself against a tall, flat stone which she was able to lean standing against with her hand on her sword hilt while her eyes peered out into the fog. She had heard it, closer this time. Dozens of tiny legs clicking and clacking against the rocks. They had sounded as though they were made of metal or some kind of hard bone. Whatever it was, it was out there and it was hunting them.
Like before, their stalker stayed silent as they hid behind the rocks. Like before, Grumner held them there, waiting, listening, until he grew tired of it and waived for them to rise and then they were off again.
This time, it took less than a minute before Calista heard the noise again. Again, she called it out to the rest of the party and again Grumner called everyone to take cover.
“What exactly do we think we’re accomplishing by hiding behind the rocks?” Cat’s Eye asked.
“Shut up,” Grumner growled.
Cat’s Eye grinned mischievously, “I don’t think being quiet is necessarily going to help here, my dwarven friend. I think the thing knows we’re here. The question is whether or not thinks it can eat us.”
“Why don’t you quit giving it ideas then,” Grumner snapped.
“I don’t know, I’m still banking on the naked lady back rub thing,” Cat’s Eye said sharply.
As if on cue, a musical voice called out from behind them, “Why hello.”
They were stunned by the beauty of the figure looking down on them. She was thin and fair with light blue skin and eyes painted like starry pools against a perfectly shaped face and she was standing atop a rock with the sun shining down on her. As she drew back her hood, she revealed a head of dark black hair that fell about her shoulders in curly waves.
Calista immediately hated her.
“Er …” said Lefty.
“Ah …” said Grumner.
“…” said Cat’s Eye as his mouth hung open.
“Geeze, you guys. You act like you’ve never seen a member of the Fae before.” Calista put her hands to her hips as she looked up at the other woman. “Now let’s get this over with. Just how do you plan on screwing us over?”
The silver haired woman tilted her head, “What do you mean?”
“I mean you fae always have some sort of riddle and then there’s a backwards deal that sounds really good up front but turns sour because it ends up ripping out your soul and all that other sort of stuff.” Calista said. “You can’t fool me. You’re too pretty to be good.”
“Oh, I don’t plan on doing any of that. Although you’re right, I am a fae and I do really enjoy cutting a good deal with unwitting passerby.” The woman laughed as her gazed turned to the others. “Especially handsome and unwitting men.”
“Well it’s a good thing we don’t have any of those here,” Calista said.
The fae crossed her arms. “Actually, your wizard isn’t totally bad looking.”
Calista looked at Lefty, “What?”
Lefty pointed to himself, “What?”
The silver haired woman waived this off, “But that’s not why I’m here.”
Calista breathed a sigh of relief, “Oh good. The last thing we need is a woman distracting our mage.”
“Oh, g- … wait, what?” Lefty said.
The fae ignored this as she held a hand to her shapely bosom. “As I was saying, my name is Zia and this just happens to be my part of the mountain. Not the whole thing, just this little bit here where the run off forms into a pool just over there.” She pointed off into the fog. “You can’t see it, but it’s quite lovely. There are a pair of trees and everything and it’s all been properly enchanted so as to suit my every need. So as you might imagine, I’m quite protective of it, so whenever I hear someone venturing up the trail, I like to come out and ask them a few questions and maybe a riddle.”
“I thought you said no riddles,” Calista said.
“I said no such thing,” Zia said innocently. “If you can’t answer my riddle, I get to stun the lot of you and rob you blind.”
Calista was incredulous. “Who says you get to do that?”
Zia’s eyes turned to emotionless pools of starry black, “I do.”
“Oh,” Calista said and fell silent.
“As I was saying …” Zia straightened her shoulders as a breeze blew through her hair and all of the men caught their breath. “… Before I ask my riddle, I want to ask the five of you just what brings you to this side of the mountain?”
“Ah …” said Cat’s Eye.
“Er …” said Grumner.
“…” said Lefty as his mouth hung open.
Calista rolled her eyes. “We’re on our way up Krakoam pass to kill the dragon. Perhaps you’ve seen her. Big black thing at the head of a horde of goblins.”
Zia’s eyes gleamed, “Yes, I happen to be familiar with her. And just why do you think you need to dispatch this dragon?”
“Ah …” said Grumner.
“Er …” said Lefty.
“I don’t know,” said Cat’s Eye.
“Quack-quack,” said Feathers.
Zia nodded to the duck. “Right. The goblins have been causing a lot of trouble. I had heard about that. Nasty business. I don’t really mind the little pests, but I have no more love for them than you do. However, I do find it funny that one of them travels in your party. I suspect he’s a slightly cleaner and more civilized version of the race?”
“Civilized, yes,” Calista answered. “Cleaner, maybe.”
Cat’s Eye shot her a glare.
“Hmmm …” Zia looked from face to face. “Perhaps I shall give you a chance then.”
“What do you mean?” Calista asked.
“I was going to ask you one of my really hard riddles and then leave you for the rock centipede that’s been stalking you for the last hour, but now I think I’ll let the lot of you fight it out first.” Zia flipped her hair as she gazed out into the fog. “You’re all very cute and mostly harmless and I don’t think you have much of a chance, but on the possibility you do happen to do in my mindless little friend, I’ll return and ask you my riddle. I really do wish you good luck on your journey. I don’t mind losing a centipede here or there as I can always find another one to keep watch for me. There are plenty of his kind on the mountainside. Anyway, good luck, I guess.”
So that’s why it hasn’t attacked us, Calista realized. It was waiting for her to leave us stunned so it could move in and kill us without a fight.
“Wait,” Lefty was confused, “why are you letting the rock centipede attack us in the first place? I thought you said you liked me?”
“Oh honey,” Zia smiled down at him. “You’re cute, but not that cute.”
“Wait,” Lefty cried. “We heard you had something that might help us.”
“Maybe I do, maybe I don’t. Maybe I’m just going to take a little break, sip some tea, and see if you can survive the next few minutes.” The pale blue woman then turned around and walked away into the fog.
