Wednesday, March 14, 2018

The Lightning Drunk Ch8: Remnants

Jok bandages up his wound that use to be most of his arm as Lin guides Victor and Jok out of the cave. She is looking around in a paranoid fashion the entire way.

"Okay it looks like we are clear, now then I need to show the both of you something."

"First we need to get Jok here to my buddy Reggie, he needs to fix him up."

"Oh trust me Victor, as good as Reggie is, he can't fix a lack of arm, but I think I can get someone who can." says Lin

"And another thing, how do you know our names." Asks the angry drunk.

Lin twirls on her heels and smiles at them before saying, "Because neither of you matter anymore."

Jok and Victor raise eyebrows at that statement. Lin realizes the way she put that, then tries to back track.

"That's not what I meant, what I mean to say is... you know what, any way I put this will sound weird. So I'll let my boss do it."

Lin twists the gem on top of her ring and a beam of light presents itself in front of her as a flat pink surface, she presses a few indicators on the surface then turns the whole thing toward the two awestruck companions... well at least Jok is awestruck.

The surface has a grey skinned man in a hat and cloak as well as two vertical white bars. The Lin says, "Play." And the bars are replaced with a sideways triangle. The man on the surface smiles and begins speaking.

"Hello there friends, I am the leader of the organization known as the Shadow Wardens, a group dedicated to fixing the world from behind the scenes. That said, we cannot do it alone. To address that, Our agents sometimes recruit beings like you, Remnants."

"You may have noticed that after some rather exciting, possibly world changing adventures you have come down with a string of boredom and nothingness, this is a time we refer to as the 'Campaign End' effectively fate wants nothing more to do with you. because of this you may have been attacked by a black ooze like creature, This is normal as the world is making sure you are not a variable."

"But we at the Shadow Wardens think that you may still be of use, and we are willing to compensate your efforts on two conditions. Firstly you will not ask questions about our organization, and second, you will listen to every order that your agent tells you. Do that and we can agree to almost any expense you require within reason."

"This is your chance to be a part of something great, Don't let us down."

With that the surface collapses back into the ring on Lin's hand. She lets out a smile and says,

"I can't explain much, but that video gives the brass tax, you guys can work for me and help me fix problems, then I give you whatever you want."

Victor says, "Gold"

Jok says, "My arm back"

Lin points to both in turn and says, "Done and done."

Victor Smiles, but Jok looks at her confused, saying "You can get me my arm."

"Sure, why wouldn't I? I just gotta get moving to our 4th member. He's a top notch Healer from a... let's just say very far away plane called an Investigator. They specialize in Alchemy and field combat, a perfect addition to our team."

Lin turns back around and looks to be fiddling with her ring.

"Since Jok doesn't look too good, I'll skip integration. I'm sure it'll be fine."

Before them a portal the same color as the surface appears, also sent out by the ring. Lin motions for them to hurry through.

Both of them shrug, with Jok immediately regretting that motion and gripping at his lost arm. Victor and Jok then proceed through the portal. Lin follows right after, the portal collapsing in once she isn't present to sustain it.

The three exit the portal and arrive in a room with a total mess spread across the entire room. Papers line the walls, ceilings, and floors, pinned there by someone. The papers look to be covered in notes and written in a manic dialect of elven.

While a half elf like Victor can make out the words, the crazed note style make following the thoughts on the paper difficult. Underneath all of the paper the room looks to be a formerly regal study for an elven wise man. Sitting at the end of the room is a frantically working High Elf.

The elf looks rather tall like his kind, with a full head of blonde medium length hair. He seems to be wearing a long green leather armored robe that is inscribed with elven symbols. To the side of his desk is a walking cane, a slung up dagger that is inscribed with lightning symbols and a composite longbow with a shield inscribed onto it.

The elf turns to see the group and smiles at them.

"While hello there, pleasant greetings, welcome to my study. If I may ask, What are you?"

Lin looks to be ready to answer, but Victor puts out his hand and says,  "What? Surly you mean who or why since we just barged into your study."

The Elf leaps up and zooms over to his three visitors along with a ink quill. He stares them up and down and furrows his brow as he says, "

"Never mind, We can make this a game, I'll guess the large one is simple, he's a minotaur. The lack of an arm is odd, but nothing I haven't seen before." he says referencing a small journal he swipes from a nearby table. he then turns his attention to Lin and Victor and is stopped.

"Well from the looks of you, I'd say a half-elf and a human... but no, there is more to it than that." He says with a large smile forming on his face. He goes closer to Victor and with the quill attempts to get a look at his covered up eye, saying,

"If I could get a better look at your eye good sir."

Victor's hand snatches the elf's hand and holds it inches away, charging it with a small burst of electricity.

"Try it and you're a dead man elf."

The elf suddenly leaps up and down excitedly and points at Victor, saying

"Of course, I've read about this, you are a sorcerer correct sir? Of the Draconic nature. Blue Dragon if I may be specific. That eye-patch hides your draconic eye! Likely a method to blend into crowds without attention gathering. Very interesting."

The elf pokes his quill into a very small pocket on his vest and begins frantically writing in his little note book. Jok leans down to Lin and asks, "Lin, this guy is a nut job?"

"The minotaur knows Common!? Astonishing!" Shouts the Elf taking more notes after flipping a few pages. Lin turns back to Jok and quietly says, "Well Jok, He's the man who can fix your arm, hopefully."

The elf turns back to Lin and says, "Now on to you... Very strange indeed. You look human, but your hair color is absolutely wrong. Vibrant Pink? No human has hair like that, and it doesn't have the very obscure faint smell of Dahlias like a typical hair dye would leave."

He thinks this over for a bit then Lin suddenly snaps her fingers and addresses the man.

"Well I'll tell you if you can help us out mister... Low-Rey? It think that was the name?"

"Lo're Knue madam, at your service, though I know elvish is tough on the tongue, so feel free to call me Lore. And very well I shall assist you if you tell me what you are."

"Fine, I'm a Changling."

The Elf laughs at this before turning back to her, "Are you daft, Changlings are nothing more than half hag offspring denoted by two different eye colors, and both of yours are maroon."

Lin breaths heavy then suddenly her skin begins to mold itself into something else, not only that but she grows and her hair and clothes form differently as well. She reforms into a perfect replica of Lore. Jok and Lore are taken aback by this, but Victor has seen enough at this point and just takes another drink.

"By the first sons of Iluvatiar! How did you do that without any magic!?"

The new Lore responds in Lin's voice, "Because my friend, where we are from Changlings are born from Dopplgangers, not hags. It's actually kind too complicated for me to explain fully, but can you help us now?"

"On one condition."

"But you said-!"

"I want to see this place you say you are from. It has gotten dreadfully dull here since I returned from the Underdark to study my drow cousins."

Lin reverts back to her old form and begins to fiddle with her ring, saying, "Actually my friend, I think I can explain that to you as well."

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