The Marvelous Adventures of Galavin Wraith: Radical Sabatical: Prelude
Galavin Wraith
Galavin paced about the room muttering to himself, for even his great wisdom could not conceive the means of which had transpired that very morning. With all his spells and all his years studying the arcane, he was at an end.
In that moment he stopped, he knew he would need help, he knew that there was only one man he could turn to, Galavin thought to himself. The wizard only truly trusted one mortal, a mage of wondrous power. A master of the flame, spells which burned with such intensity, could rival hellfire. Galavin clenched his jaw and walked over to the many books piled on the wizard's desk. Picking one out of a pile and turning it in his hands, hesitating, but finally opening it and turning to the correct spell.
Just as he finished the thought he felt a tingle go down the back of his neck, in a flash he was on his feet and turning around to see a rift? No! A portal! His hands and fingers already in motion, arcing, forming arcane symbols as they went. Calling on his innate abilities.
He stopped as he finally recognized the figure stepping through and out unto the summit.
It was Galavin Wraith!
“I need your help” Galavin yelled through the howling winds atop the summit.
“What?” Faltex mouthed back to his elvish friend, laughing aloud after his friend’s face turned sour.
Faltex sighed and walked passed the elf into the portal knowing full well that his lifelong friend was, once again, about to get him killed. That thought only made the dragonborn smile all the wilder.
Both of them stepped into the small circular room, the warm air, compared to the summit, filling their lungs. Faltex turned to look Galavin in the eyes as the portal closed up behind the wizard.
“So, you called?
The wizard crossed his arms “Louie is dead”
“Who?” the confused dragonborn asked, the name barely ringing a bell.
The wizard huffed and walked over, passed the dragonborn and the desk he leaned on. Walking through the wall as if one was not there, a moment passed and the wizard returned holding onto a crystal ball. Stepping into the middle of the room Galavin let go to allow the ball to float in the air, it bounced as if floating on the surface of water that neither of them could see. Focusing on his thoughts he called forth an image pushing aside the cloudy vision within the crystal. The two of them now looked down into a room, laying on the ground was a humanoid creature wearing fine clothing covered in blood. The humanoid laid in a small puddle of blood as well. Galavin moved the image closer, Faltex now recognized the man, no elf the dragonborn realized. Even with the obvious hole, a small bolt protruding from it, coming in from the back of his skull to then stick out the other side through the left eye socket.
“Ironic” the sorcerer thought to himself. Turning to his friend. “How? There are no windows, no obvious doors into the room”
The wizard let go of the scene inside of the crystal ball. “Not to mention the spells and wards on not just himself but the room too” The wizard left the room again then returned with two staves and a pack. Walking about the room grabbing supplies and books saying “there is only so much we can do from this tower, we must go there ourselves to investigate”
“I’m still confused, why do you need me”
“Simple, whoever did this is very good. I can also conclude that they are not from around here. No one in this city would dare cross Louie, let alone be able to accomplish the hit” the wizard finished with a scoff.
The wizard stepped onto a small rug laying in the center of the room. “We shouldn’t waste any more time” by the time he finished that sentence he was already soaring out the large window.
Faltex once again caught himself smiling as he followed his good friend through the window sprouting magical leather wings before lifting off from the ledge.
Pulling out one of his wands chanting a command word and allowing the magic to take effect, just in time to land on the street outside of the large stone building. After rolling up his rug and picking it up the two walked inside. Walking through the halls and up several staircases they came to a long hallway that just seemed to end.
“All the magic in this place is still active, but it stops about five feet from the end of that hallway” Galavin said bluntly.
Faltex didn’t like what that would mean for the two. “Are you thinking we're dealing with a spellcaster that likes crossbows as a hobby?” he said as they walked down the hallway, stopping just at the edge of where the wizard said magic seemed to stop having an effect.
“It’s possible” Some concern in his voice.
“Wait, if we can’t use magic how did you get your scrying inside?” the sorcerer said rather accusational, eyeing Galavin with skepticism.
“The room is tall and the body is closer to this side of the room. So my magical sensor in the far corner means that it doesn't reach more than ten feet '' he said while pointing as if the corner was somehow visible to them at that moment.
“What are you saying”
“Every spell I know with anti-magical properties lasts no longer than an hour, therefore I believe the bolt itself has been enchanted with such a property” the wizard said proudly.
Faltex pondered the knowledge for a moment before finally accepting the information as truth.
“So are we going in or going to stare at this wall all day?” the sorcerer asked gesturing to the wall in a manner that said the wizard should lead the way.
Galavin laughed, but as he turned to regard the trap in front of him, he did feel very vulnerable. He stepped into the aura and pushed on the wall, after it fell back an inch or two he changed his grip to push it to the side revealing the room behind. The two of them walked around to the far side of the room where they could feel the magic return to their items. Where there used to be a body now lies a long pile of dust and a crossbow bolt.
Faltex again looked at the wizard confused.
“Clone” he said, answering his friend’s unsaid question.
“If he had a clone why is this a problem”
“The soul can still be stolen while it travels from one body to another”
Galavin then walked over to pick up the bolt, investigating it. Faltex joined him, and again couldn’t help feel like someone was watching the two. Galavin, seeming defeated in that moment, took out a small box from his pack. Taking the bolt and dropping it into the box before closing it up.
The two went to work right away casting spells and investigating the room. Several hours went by and they discern that the killer shot through the wall between the room and the street out front. The pair found a small orifice in the wall covered up by an illusion. Using this knowledge they were able to narrow down the rooftop the assassin used. On the roof they found a letter. Reading the letter revealed that the assassin was taking Louie for ransom. Stating terms, dates, as well as a location.
“Well that settles that, now we move onto the fun part” Faltex said through a big grin.
Galavin offered a shrug and a knowing smile.
Faltex stood behind his closest friend. They were underground in a prison, looking to rescue some forgotten "hero" of a mutual friend, a tiefling, the two of them knew and had adventures with over the last few months. The dragonborn did not trust the tiefling fully. Though they had similar goals for the moment the way he conducted himself, told the dragonborn their moral codes couldn’t be further apart. The truth is he never even took the time to remember his name. Just called him "rogue", sometimes "thief". Galavin approached the cell door, it had a complex arcane lock, sealing whatever or whoever was behind them. Faltex watched as his friend made short work of decoding and tearing away at the magic. Within minutes the cell door was open with everyone able to peer in. Overflowing with joy the Rogue came up behind Galavin embracing the wizard with a hug.
No one had the chance to stop what came next for as soon as the Rogue had his hands on Galavin his grip moved one hand on his shoulder and the other under the wizard's jaw. The Rogue pulled and twisted the sound of flesh tearing and blood gushing to meet the prison floor. As the body and head fell to the floor Faltex’s gaze fixed on his now dead friend hardly noticed as the Rogue burst out from his current form to reveal an even more devilish form.
Faltex awoke then sitting up in his bed, panting hard for he did not sweat like other races. He looked around, realizing what had happened and where he was. Steadying his breath and calming his mind, the dragonborn was both relieved and saddened. It had been many years since that night, and yet, the nightmare of losing his friend still haunted him. In truth Galavin had been given life quickly after the fiend left with the prisoner, still the thought of losing his greatest friend was something he didn’t want to go through again.
The two had arrived at the spot early. Though they looked on from a great distance, they both understood why the location had been chosen. They both walked into the market to stand about the location described in the letter. They had brought the “reward” for the assassin, several large gems together worth 100 thousand gold pieces, as well as a specific magical item from the peninsula of Chult, a dagger named Bookmark?. Galavin was unsure of how his organization came to own the item, all he knew was he wasn’t going to let the assassin walk away with any of it.
Around midday the two stood, waiting. From out of the crowd stepped a kid no older than ten, the wizard noted, handing them a letter and running off back into the mid city market. Faltex grabbed Galavin’s arm, bubbles began to form and pop around them. They were gone.
Inside the safety of Galavin's tower they carefully read over the parchment. The author seemed to congratulate them and explained the pair was indeed working too fast for the assassin’s liking. They read on. The author again explaining the parameters for their meeting and a new location and time.
Faltex laughed at the information. He was relieved that the city folk wouldn’t hinder him if it came to blows with the assassin. Galavin on the other hand knew why the assassin wanted more time. In this case less time meant the wizard had less time to prepare, and more time for the assassin to analyze their movements. He looked to his friend to see the sharp toothed smile on his face. “It’s not the first time going in blind” Galavin shrugged.
“You think he’ll bring friends?” the dragonborn asked him, still grinning.
“Most definitely” Galavin said with a nod. He then handed the letter over and began to walk to the other side of the lounge within the wizard’s tower. Sitting down into a comfy chair “I believe a man of his talent is smart enough to work with others”
Faltex came to join him in a comfy chair tandem to one Galavin sat in. “So what's the plan?”
The wizard shrugged. “Go in, give them a polite greeting and leave with our friend”
“You said a polite greeting. You’re not getting soft on me are you?”
“No no no. why do you think I needed your help?” Galavin said, turning to look at the dragonborn.
The sorcerer, too relaxed in his chair to return the look only laid his head back and closed his eyes. He wanted to be well rested for the night to come.
Faltex flew high above the small stretch of open field surrounded by a grove of trees. From his vantage point he noted the almost full circle of spots for any number of assassins to hide. This did little to calm his mind of his past experiences. He had to believe in the plan, well, the general idea of a plan that the two could come up with. After some time he watched the wizard walking into the grove and losing sight of the elf underneath the canopy. The wizard held one staff in his hand and rested the other on the hilt of the dagger named Bookmark attached to his belt. He also wore a small pack that carried the gold and some rations for Louie, for the wizard had no clue how hungry his friend may be. He walked along the pathway keeping his wits about him.
The wizard walked out into the clearing walking with confidence but every step forward was calm and calculated. The wizard was ready for anything at that moment. Without hearing sound a figure caught his eye, landing on the ground on the other side of the clearing. “Dropped out of the tree” Galavin reasoned. The figure strode across the field and up to the wizard stopping only a few feet away. They wore a large cloak to hide their features. The figure moved their hands up and slid back the hood to reveal her human face. “So glad you decided to come all this way to join me”
“Well you didn’t give me much say in the matter, I would have chosen a fancy dinner fit for a king” Galavin said with a smile. The two never taking their eyes off each other. “But, a late night walk through the woods can be… calming.” letting that last word hang in the cold night air. Galavin's smile turned into a stern look. “Why steal a soul then ask for the dagger? Why not just steal the dagger in the first place?”
“I hate to cut out all these… formalities but I’ll leave out most of the details. I was hired to retrieve a handful of souls” she continued. “You see the plan was simple, take one soul, then let the rest come to me” She said through a wicked grin. Galavin took his eye off the assassin to take one more look around into the surrounding woods. Looking back to the woman he noticed she had produced a large silver coin. He noted the unholy fiendish script written on the faces. “This one is for you”
In that moment about a dozen or so clicks from the shadows sounded off. Galavin knew what was coming, already reacting he brought forth an arcane shield blocking most of the crossbow bolts sailing in. One digging into his right thigh and one other into his lower back. He braced for the women in front of him to strike but she instead jumped back as the sky above the field and soon all around lit up with bright flashes of fire. They streaked into trees and bushes, two coming to the assassin herself. Both deflected by her cloak, dispersing harmlessly over the fabric. Through the sounds of screams and burning leaves she turned her gaze up to see nothing! Looking back down in front of her was shocked to see, not blood pouring from the wizards thigh, but water?
The wizard’s mouth chanted holding his staff up, a spell meant to empower himself. His firm hands almost splintering the wood of his staff, he began to approach the assassin. The assassin quick on her feet came in quick to meet her opponent. Bringing up her sword and dagger arcing and parrying the wizard who wielded his quarterstaff and Bookmark. The two locked into a dance, none gaining much ground until the assassin who was much more skilled in close combat came in hard, doubling back at the last moment to then slice horizontally cutting with both her sword and dagger across the wizard's belly. Water gushed out from the wound, not flinching in the slightest the wizard realized he didn’t have an opening with his blade and decided to punch straight out with his dagger hand aiming for his opponent. The punch came in hard, the assassin thinking she could take it, flew back as she had just ran into a wall. “I hate wizards” she spat.
In the sky the dragonborn came in to finish off those who survived his barrage. To his dismay it was all of them. His hands moved to cast the wicked spell once again. He targeted those who had gotten back to their feet and were activating looking for the source of the spell. In streaks of light a dozen more bolts of fire came forth from the invisible dragonborn's hands. This time one thug dodged sidelong around a tree getting out of the way of a few, though more than double the number of bolts he had dodged found him on the other side, burning his clothes and his skin. He dropped to the ground no longer moving. The other thug let rip a crossbow bolt in the general direction of the fire, a moment later his body collapsed to the ground as well, still a flame, he would never know he hit. The dragonborn grimaced at that bolt coming in and right through his left wing. Not wanting to deal with the pain he landed, more than a few thugs looking his way.
A bit dazed, she came in to meet the strong wizard and they once again began a dance of daggers, sword, and staff. “I cannot take another hit like that, i just have to wait for the poison to take hold, but this stubborn Galavin Wraith doesn’t show any signs of slowing” she thought to herself fighting much more on the defensive side. Galavin noticed the assassin's slight change in attitude, then he felt it. His resolve began to diminish, and soon his vision began to blur. His parrys less precise and strikes more lazily. The assassin noticed and pressed in, pushing the wizard back. More than a few hits showing up on the wizard's skin, releasing more than a few drops of water. The assassin parried swinging the wizard's staff out wide, doubling back to block the incoming dagger, closing in the distance between so quickly the wizard barely noticed. Only feeling the dagger as it cut deep in and up towards where his heart and lungs would be.
Faltex rolled to the side dodging the bolts as they flew in. He popped up and noticed some of the thugs grouped up. I grin grew on his face as he began casting. A small red bead formed just in front of him before it floated away towards his opponents. They saw the bead come out toward them, reloading their crossbows, they did not understand the danger they were all in. as they finished and began to take aim the bead suddenly without warning burst into a large fireball. The flames licked the trees and the grass and even a few bugs. As the sorcerer turned to regard the last few thugs their crossbows clicked setting loose yet another volley. The sorcerer quickly called forth a magical shield, similar to that of Galavin’s, though more than one managed to break through. He yelped out in pain, losing his concentration on the magic keeping him invisible. Feeling exposed he could do little as more bolts lodged their way deep into his scaly hide. Calling on his innate magic, a light bluish fire quickly crawled up his body embracing him fully. A third volley of bolts made their way over only to fly harmlessly into the woods. The sorcerer was gone, magically stepping up into the sky above.
The dance had come to a stop, the assassin stepping in further. Galavin looking down, not a sound able to leave his mouth. A smile on the woman's face, quickly turned to one of disgust as the wizard’s features began to melt away. Icy water ran down her arms and onto her clothes, chilling her to her core. As the water fell to the ground, rolling off her like someone dumped a bucket of water on her, the crackling sound of lightning followed by a loud thunderclap hit her right side throwing her to the ground, the cold water heightening the pain she felt in that moment. Her body twitched all the way into unconsciousness. The real Galavin, still under a spell of invisibility, watched the last few thugs as they slowly scanned the area. His hands moved and he chanted quietly, He held his spell at the end waiting for the thugs to enter the clearing. Looking up he noticed Faltex preparing a similar spell, even though he could not see the wizard, the two were thinking the same thing. Finally Faltex let loose his spell, Galavin acting on his friend cue did the same. The two red beads flying to the group, one of them calling out to the others, noticing the dangerous beads. They jumped and rolled, one just ran, in a bright flash the two fireballs roared together, their magic melding together. The thugs tried their best to avoid the fire, but as the smoke cleared rising into the sky only burned bodies, some still a flame, laid in the field.
Faltex landed gracefully some feet away from the assassin, still unconscious on the ground. Galavin began his approach as well, the spell that was keeping the wizard invisible coming to an end. The dragonborn looked over to regard the wizard. Using a magical whisper in the wizard’s ear. “I’ll hold her and you search for whatever is holding Louie” The sorcerer went to casting, channeling his innate magic. The spell began to take hold on the assassin, freezing her body where it layed. Galavin walked carefully over to the assassin trusting Faltex’s magic. He produced a spectral hand over the body, going to work moving aside the cloak to get a better look. He noticed the pack she wore on her lower back, lifting the flap and lowering the hand inside, the bag was empty and impossibly large on the inside. Knowing this magic well he walked over quickly and pulled the bag off the body, which did not react, swiftly striding back to a safe distance. He turned the bag over and flipped inside out, forcing everything inside to fall out.
The body twitched on the ground and Faltex could feel her punching her way through the magic. “We don’t have much time” Faltex began frantically. Galavin spun around and leveled one of his wands to the woman, just as she jumped up thinking to run over and strike the sorcerer. She swiftly darted toward the dragonborn, as she came in for the kill, her blades missing their mark, at first she thought she was dreaming, no longer in the dark night time grove. She now found herself in the sun, somewhere on a grassy hilltop. She suddenly reared over and vomited.
Galavin let loose a spell, banishing the assassin to a random harmless plane of existence.
“You couldn’t have casted that any sooner?” the dragonborn said, standing uncomfortably.
Galavin smiled “I’m glad you're okay” Faltex looked at his wounds in comparison to the lack of the wizards, how ironic.
Looking through the pile on the ground the two went to work, they only had a few moments before the assassin would return. They found three of the large coins the assassin had produced earlier. Faltex picked on up, he suddenly felt the weight of not the coin itself but of the soul held within. He felt anger and hunger? “Hey I think I found Louie” Galavin looked up from his coin. “This one’s empty”
“Did she really plan on killing both of us?” Faltex asked. Galavin could only shrug
“Her plan was more complicated than we had thought.”
Faltex, always skeptical, believed that the fight had been too easy. Galavin took the two empty coins and some of the pouches filled with gold and gems as payment for the simulacrum.
“So, do you know how to work these things?” Faltex asked holding to look at the coin more closely. “I’m afraid not, we’ll have to identify them later, for now we prepare for the assassin’s return” The wizard said standing and straightening his outfit.
Far away on the demi plane the assassin explored the hills of green grass, she had never been to a field so beautiful. As she walked she began to understand some parts of what had transpired. She had been teleported, but this was on a scale she was not used to. She had heard of people and creatures being moved from one
plane to another but never for very long, she was on a time limit. “Unless...” stating out loud to no one, “could that wizard really have made the transition permanent?”
she bit her tongue on that last word. Turning her gaze at the sky, she signed and reasoned it wouldn’t be all bad. A moment past and a churning in her gut told her the truth.
Galavin and Faltex readied themselves, they didn’t want the assassin to escape and didn’t need any information from her. “It’ll be quick” He told himself, the spell he had in mind was one he learned from a vile spellbook during his travels. He didn’t like speaking the spell, felt the power of death flowing out his mouth gave him the chills. He let go of the spell holding the assassin. Allowing her to travel back to the same spot she had left. As she popped back into the space she was already spinning bringing sword over dagger, expecting some form of attack, but this attack couldn’t be stopped by any means she had. When she stopped her spin to take her surroundings. Galavin, pointing his finger at the assassin, uttered words of death and power. The assassins' eyes widened and she lunged to the side expecting more lightning or fire. From her point of view she never even landed, never hit the ground to roll back onto her feet. The only she saw was darkness.
“If I knew I would be entertaining guests I wouldn’t have slept in so late” he said once again stretching, bringing a quick laugh from all three.
“We have a problem” Galavin stated bluntly. Pointing at the two large coins laying on the desk in front of him.
“When don’t we?” Louie laughed again. Walking over to the desk, he looked at the sorcerer as he walked. Smiling “it’s good to see you two working together again.”
The dragonborn only shifted in place at the statement.
Bringing Louie’s attention to Galavin’s gaze. “It’s the nine hells again” The wizard said, holding up a folded piece of parchment. Taking the parchment from the wizard Louie began reading the script. After a dreadful pause Luoie's eyes went wide, his face flared with rage.
“What do they mean -you owe us a debt-! That is a fraudulent accusation at best! ”
He turned to the mages, his elvish features red with anger. “Gentlemen we’re raising hell”
Continues to Part 1...The Marvelous Adventures of Galavin Wraith: Radical Sabatical: Part 1
Galavin paced about the room muttering to himself, for even his great wisdom could not conceive the means of which had transpired that very morning. With all his spells and all his years studying the arcane, he was at an end.
In that moment he stopped, he knew he would need help, he knew that there was only one man he could turn to, Galavin thought to himself. The wizard only truly trusted one mortal, a mage of wondrous power. A master of the flame, spells which burned with such intensity, could rival hellfire. Galavin clenched his jaw and walked over to the many books piled on the wizard's desk. Picking one out of a pile and turning it in his hands, hesitating, but finally opening it and turning to the correct spell.
…
He sat alone on top of the summit, thinking to himself about his next move. The next adventure, the next chapter in the great sorcerer's tale. Faltex smiled to himself for a moment, he entertained the idea of becoming a pirate! Sailing along the sword coast, him and his gang of no go-doers would be unstoppable. The smile faded quickly as it had come, he remembered that most boats are made of wood, the first day out at sea he knew, he knew that one spell and that ship would still be burning as it settled onto the sea floor.
Just as he finished the thought he felt a tingle go down the back of his neck, in a flash he was on his feet and turning around to see a rift? No! A portal! His hands and fingers already in motion, arcing, forming arcane symbols as they went. Calling on his innate abilities.
He stopped as he finally recognized the figure stepping through and out unto the summit.
It was Galavin Wraith!
“I need your help” Galavin yelled through the howling winds atop the summit.
“What?” Faltex mouthed back to his elvish friend, laughing aloud after his friend’s face turned sour.
Faltex sighed and walked passed the elf into the portal knowing full well that his lifelong friend was, once again, about to get him killed. That thought only made the dragonborn smile all the wilder.
Both of them stepped into the small circular room, the warm air, compared to the summit, filling their lungs. Faltex turned to look Galavin in the eyes as the portal closed up behind the wizard.
“So, you called?
The wizard crossed his arms “Louie is dead”
“Who?” the confused dragonborn asked, the name barely ringing a bell.
The wizard huffed and walked over, passed the dragonborn and the desk he leaned on. Walking through the wall as if one was not there, a moment passed and the wizard returned holding onto a crystal ball. Stepping into the middle of the room Galavin let go to allow the ball to float in the air, it bounced as if floating on the surface of water that neither of them could see. Focusing on his thoughts he called forth an image pushing aside the cloudy vision within the crystal. The two of them now looked down into a room, laying on the ground was a humanoid creature wearing fine clothing covered in blood. The humanoid laid in a small puddle of blood as well. Galavin moved the image closer, Faltex now recognized the man, no elf the dragonborn realized. Even with the obvious hole, a small bolt protruding from it, coming in from the back of his skull to then stick out the other side through the left eye socket.
“Ironic” the sorcerer thought to himself. Turning to his friend. “How? There are no windows, no obvious doors into the room”
The wizard let go of the scene inside of the crystal ball. “Not to mention the spells and wards on not just himself but the room too” The wizard left the room again then returned with two staves and a pack. Walking about the room grabbing supplies and books saying “there is only so much we can do from this tower, we must go there ourselves to investigate”
“I’m still confused, why do you need me”
“Simple, whoever did this is very good. I can also conclude that they are not from around here. No one in this city would dare cross Louie, let alone be able to accomplish the hit” the wizard finished with a scoff.
The wizard stepped onto a small rug laying in the center of the room. “We shouldn’t waste any more time” by the time he finished that sentence he was already soaring out the large window.
Faltex once again caught himself smiling as he followed his good friend through the window sprouting magical leather wings before lifting off from the ledge.
…
Pulling out one of his wands chanting a command word and allowing the magic to take effect, just in time to land on the street outside of the large stone building. After rolling up his rug and picking it up the two walked inside. Walking through the halls and up several staircases they came to a long hallway that just seemed to end.
“All the magic in this place is still active, but it stops about five feet from the end of that hallway” Galavin said bluntly.
Faltex didn’t like what that would mean for the two. “Are you thinking we're dealing with a spellcaster that likes crossbows as a hobby?” he said as they walked down the hallway, stopping just at the edge of where the wizard said magic seemed to stop having an effect.
“It’s possible” Some concern in his voice.
“Wait, if we can’t use magic how did you get your scrying inside?” the sorcerer said rather accusational, eyeing Galavin with skepticism.
“The room is tall and the body is closer to this side of the room. So my magical sensor in the far corner means that it doesn't reach more than ten feet '' he said while pointing as if the corner was somehow visible to them at that moment.
“What are you saying”
“Every spell I know with anti-magical properties lasts no longer than an hour, therefore I believe the bolt itself has been enchanted with such a property” the wizard said proudly.
Faltex pondered the knowledge for a moment before finally accepting the information as truth.
“So are we going in or going to stare at this wall all day?” the sorcerer asked gesturing to the wall in a manner that said the wizard should lead the way.
Galavin laughed, but as he turned to regard the trap in front of him, he did feel very vulnerable. He stepped into the aura and pushed on the wall, after it fell back an inch or two he changed his grip to push it to the side revealing the room behind. The two of them walked around to the far side of the room where they could feel the magic return to their items. Where there used to be a body now lies a long pile of dust and a crossbow bolt.
Faltex again looked at the wizard confused.
“Clone” he said, answering his friend’s unsaid question.
“If he had a clone why is this a problem”
“The soul can still be stolen while it travels from one body to another”
Galavin then walked over to pick up the bolt, investigating it. Faltex joined him, and again couldn’t help feel like someone was watching the two. Galavin, seeming defeated in that moment, took out a small box from his pack. Taking the bolt and dropping it into the box before closing it up.
The two went to work right away casting spells and investigating the room. Several hours went by and they discern that the killer shot through the wall between the room and the street out front. The pair found a small orifice in the wall covered up by an illusion. Using this knowledge they were able to narrow down the rooftop the assassin used. On the roof they found a letter. Reading the letter revealed that the assassin was taking Louie for ransom. Stating terms, dates, as well as a location.
“Well that settles that, now we move onto the fun part” Faltex said through a big grin.
Galavin offered a shrug and a knowing smile.
…
Faltex stood behind his closest friend. They were underground in a prison, looking to rescue some forgotten "hero" of a mutual friend, a tiefling, the two of them knew and had adventures with over the last few months. The dragonborn did not trust the tiefling fully. Though they had similar goals for the moment the way he conducted himself, told the dragonborn their moral codes couldn’t be further apart. The truth is he never even took the time to remember his name. Just called him "rogue", sometimes "thief". Galavin approached the cell door, it had a complex arcane lock, sealing whatever or whoever was behind them. Faltex watched as his friend made short work of decoding and tearing away at the magic. Within minutes the cell door was open with everyone able to peer in. Overflowing with joy the Rogue came up behind Galavin embracing the wizard with a hug.
No one had the chance to stop what came next for as soon as the Rogue had his hands on Galavin his grip moved one hand on his shoulder and the other under the wizard's jaw. The Rogue pulled and twisted the sound of flesh tearing and blood gushing to meet the prison floor. As the body and head fell to the floor Faltex’s gaze fixed on his now dead friend hardly noticed as the Rogue burst out from his current form to reveal an even more devilish form.
Faltex awoke then sitting up in his bed, panting hard for he did not sweat like other races. He looked around, realizing what had happened and where he was. Steadying his breath and calming his mind, the dragonborn was both relieved and saddened. It had been many years since that night, and yet, the nightmare of losing his friend still haunted him. In truth Galavin had been given life quickly after the fiend left with the prisoner, still the thought of losing his greatest friend was something he didn’t want to go through again.
…
The two had arrived at the spot early. Though they looked on from a great distance, they both understood why the location had been chosen. They both walked into the market to stand about the location described in the letter. They had brought the “reward” for the assassin, several large gems together worth 100 thousand gold pieces, as well as a specific magical item from the peninsula of Chult, a dagger named Bookmark?. Galavin was unsure of how his organization came to own the item, all he knew was he wasn’t going to let the assassin walk away with any of it.
Around midday the two stood, waiting. From out of the crowd stepped a kid no older than ten, the wizard noted, handing them a letter and running off back into the mid city market. Faltex grabbed Galavin’s arm, bubbles began to form and pop around them. They were gone.
Inside the safety of Galavin's tower they carefully read over the parchment. The author seemed to congratulate them and explained the pair was indeed working too fast for the assassin’s liking. They read on. The author again explaining the parameters for their meeting and a new location and time.
Faltex laughed at the information. He was relieved that the city folk wouldn’t hinder him if it came to blows with the assassin. Galavin on the other hand knew why the assassin wanted more time. In this case less time meant the wizard had less time to prepare, and more time for the assassin to analyze their movements. He looked to his friend to see the sharp toothed smile on his face. “It’s not the first time going in blind” Galavin shrugged.
“You think he’ll bring friends?” the dragonborn asked him, still grinning.
“Most definitely” Galavin said with a nod. He then handed the letter over and began to walk to the other side of the lounge within the wizard’s tower. Sitting down into a comfy chair “I believe a man of his talent is smart enough to work with others”
Faltex came to join him in a comfy chair tandem to one Galavin sat in. “So what's the plan?”
The wizard shrugged. “Go in, give them a polite greeting and leave with our friend”
“You said a polite greeting. You’re not getting soft on me are you?”
“No no no. why do you think I needed your help?” Galavin said, turning to look at the dragonborn.
The sorcerer, too relaxed in his chair to return the look only laid his head back and closed his eyes. He wanted to be well rested for the night to come.
…
Faltex flew high above the small stretch of open field surrounded by a grove of trees. From his vantage point he noted the almost full circle of spots for any number of assassins to hide. This did little to calm his mind of his past experiences. He had to believe in the plan, well, the general idea of a plan that the two could come up with. After some time he watched the wizard walking into the grove and losing sight of the elf underneath the canopy. The wizard held one staff in his hand and rested the other on the hilt of the dagger named Bookmark attached to his belt. He also wore a small pack that carried the gold and some rations for Louie, for the wizard had no clue how hungry his friend may be. He walked along the pathway keeping his wits about him.
The wizard walked out into the clearing walking with confidence but every step forward was calm and calculated. The wizard was ready for anything at that moment. Without hearing sound a figure caught his eye, landing on the ground on the other side of the clearing. “Dropped out of the tree” Galavin reasoned. The figure strode across the field and up to the wizard stopping only a few feet away. They wore a large cloak to hide their features. The figure moved their hands up and slid back the hood to reveal her human face. “So glad you decided to come all this way to join me”
“Well you didn’t give me much say in the matter, I would have chosen a fancy dinner fit for a king” Galavin said with a smile. The two never taking their eyes off each other. “But, a late night walk through the woods can be… calming.” letting that last word hang in the cold night air. Galavin's smile turned into a stern look. “Why steal a soul then ask for the dagger? Why not just steal the dagger in the first place?”
“I hate to cut out all these… formalities but I’ll leave out most of the details. I was hired to retrieve a handful of souls” she continued. “You see the plan was simple, take one soul, then let the rest come to me” She said through a wicked grin. Galavin took his eye off the assassin to take one more look around into the surrounding woods. Looking back to the woman he noticed she had produced a large silver coin. He noted the unholy fiendish script written on the faces. “This one is for you”
In that moment about a dozen or so clicks from the shadows sounded off. Galavin knew what was coming, already reacting he brought forth an arcane shield blocking most of the crossbow bolts sailing in. One digging into his right thigh and one other into his lower back. He braced for the women in front of him to strike but she instead jumped back as the sky above the field and soon all around lit up with bright flashes of fire. They streaked into trees and bushes, two coming to the assassin herself. Both deflected by her cloak, dispersing harmlessly over the fabric. Through the sounds of screams and burning leaves she turned her gaze up to see nothing! Looking back down in front of her was shocked to see, not blood pouring from the wizards thigh, but water?
The wizard’s mouth chanted holding his staff up, a spell meant to empower himself. His firm hands almost splintering the wood of his staff, he began to approach the assassin. The assassin quick on her feet came in quick to meet her opponent. Bringing up her sword and dagger arcing and parrying the wizard who wielded his quarterstaff and Bookmark. The two locked into a dance, none gaining much ground until the assassin who was much more skilled in close combat came in hard, doubling back at the last moment to then slice horizontally cutting with both her sword and dagger across the wizard's belly. Water gushed out from the wound, not flinching in the slightest the wizard realized he didn’t have an opening with his blade and decided to punch straight out with his dagger hand aiming for his opponent. The punch came in hard, the assassin thinking she could take it, flew back as she had just ran into a wall. “I hate wizards” she spat.
In the sky the dragonborn came in to finish off those who survived his barrage. To his dismay it was all of them. His hands moved to cast the wicked spell once again. He targeted those who had gotten back to their feet and were activating looking for the source of the spell. In streaks of light a dozen more bolts of fire came forth from the invisible dragonborn's hands. This time one thug dodged sidelong around a tree getting out of the way of a few, though more than double the number of bolts he had dodged found him on the other side, burning his clothes and his skin. He dropped to the ground no longer moving. The other thug let rip a crossbow bolt in the general direction of the fire, a moment later his body collapsed to the ground as well, still a flame, he would never know he hit. The dragonborn grimaced at that bolt coming in and right through his left wing. Not wanting to deal with the pain he landed, more than a few thugs looking his way.
A bit dazed, she came in to meet the strong wizard and they once again began a dance of daggers, sword, and staff. “I cannot take another hit like that, i just have to wait for the poison to take hold, but this stubborn Galavin Wraith doesn’t show any signs of slowing” she thought to herself fighting much more on the defensive side. Galavin noticed the assassin's slight change in attitude, then he felt it. His resolve began to diminish, and soon his vision began to blur. His parrys less precise and strikes more lazily. The assassin noticed and pressed in, pushing the wizard back. More than a few hits showing up on the wizard's skin, releasing more than a few drops of water. The assassin parried swinging the wizard's staff out wide, doubling back to block the incoming dagger, closing in the distance between so quickly the wizard barely noticed. Only feeling the dagger as it cut deep in and up towards where his heart and lungs would be.
Faltex rolled to the side dodging the bolts as they flew in. He popped up and noticed some of the thugs grouped up. I grin grew on his face as he began casting. A small red bead formed just in front of him before it floated away towards his opponents. They saw the bead come out toward them, reloading their crossbows, they did not understand the danger they were all in. as they finished and began to take aim the bead suddenly without warning burst into a large fireball. The flames licked the trees and the grass and even a few bugs. As the sorcerer turned to regard the last few thugs their crossbows clicked setting loose yet another volley. The sorcerer quickly called forth a magical shield, similar to that of Galavin’s, though more than one managed to break through. He yelped out in pain, losing his concentration on the magic keeping him invisible. Feeling exposed he could do little as more bolts lodged their way deep into his scaly hide. Calling on his innate magic, a light bluish fire quickly crawled up his body embracing him fully. A third volley of bolts made their way over only to fly harmlessly into the woods. The sorcerer was gone, magically stepping up into the sky above.
The dance had come to a stop, the assassin stepping in further. Galavin looking down, not a sound able to leave his mouth. A smile on the woman's face, quickly turned to one of disgust as the wizard’s features began to melt away. Icy water ran down her arms and onto her clothes, chilling her to her core. As the water fell to the ground, rolling off her like someone dumped a bucket of water on her, the crackling sound of lightning followed by a loud thunderclap hit her right side throwing her to the ground, the cold water heightening the pain she felt in that moment. Her body twitched all the way into unconsciousness. The real Galavin, still under a spell of invisibility, watched the last few thugs as they slowly scanned the area. His hands moved and he chanted quietly, He held his spell at the end waiting for the thugs to enter the clearing. Looking up he noticed Faltex preparing a similar spell, even though he could not see the wizard, the two were thinking the same thing. Finally Faltex let loose his spell, Galavin acting on his friend cue did the same. The two red beads flying to the group, one of them calling out to the others, noticing the dangerous beads. They jumped and rolled, one just ran, in a bright flash the two fireballs roared together, their magic melding together. The thugs tried their best to avoid the fire, but as the smoke cleared rising into the sky only burned bodies, some still a flame, laid in the field.
Faltex landed gracefully some feet away from the assassin, still unconscious on the ground. Galavin began his approach as well, the spell that was keeping the wizard invisible coming to an end. The dragonborn looked over to regard the wizard. Using a magical whisper in the wizard’s ear. “I’ll hold her and you search for whatever is holding Louie” The sorcerer went to casting, channeling his innate magic. The spell began to take hold on the assassin, freezing her body where it layed. Galavin walked carefully over to the assassin trusting Faltex’s magic. He produced a spectral hand over the body, going to work moving aside the cloak to get a better look. He noticed the pack she wore on her lower back, lifting the flap and lowering the hand inside, the bag was empty and impossibly large on the inside. Knowing this magic well he walked over quickly and pulled the bag off the body, which did not react, swiftly striding back to a safe distance. He turned the bag over and flipped inside out, forcing everything inside to fall out.
The body twitched on the ground and Faltex could feel her punching her way through the magic. “We don’t have much time” Faltex began frantically. Galavin spun around and leveled one of his wands to the woman, just as she jumped up thinking to run over and strike the sorcerer. She swiftly darted toward the dragonborn, as she came in for the kill, her blades missing their mark, at first she thought she was dreaming, no longer in the dark night time grove. She now found herself in the sun, somewhere on a grassy hilltop. She suddenly reared over and vomited.
Galavin let loose a spell, banishing the assassin to a random harmless plane of existence.
“You couldn’t have casted that any sooner?” the dragonborn said, standing uncomfortably.
Galavin smiled “I’m glad you're okay” Faltex looked at his wounds in comparison to the lack of the wizards, how ironic.
Looking through the pile on the ground the two went to work, they only had a few moments before the assassin would return. They found three of the large coins the assassin had produced earlier. Faltex picked on up, he suddenly felt the weight of not the coin itself but of the soul held within. He felt anger and hunger? “Hey I think I found Louie” Galavin looked up from his coin. “This one’s empty”
“Did she really plan on killing both of us?” Faltex asked. Galavin could only shrug
“Her plan was more complicated than we had thought.”
Faltex, always skeptical, believed that the fight had been too easy. Galavin took the two empty coins and some of the pouches filled with gold and gems as payment for the simulacrum.
“So, do you know how to work these things?” Faltex asked holding to look at the coin more closely. “I’m afraid not, we’ll have to identify them later, for now we prepare for the assassin’s return” The wizard said standing and straightening his outfit.
Far away on the demi plane the assassin explored the hills of green grass, she had never been to a field so beautiful. As she walked she began to understand some parts of what had transpired. She had been teleported, but this was on a scale she was not used to. She had heard of people and creatures being moved from one
plane to another but never for very long, she was on a time limit. “Unless...” stating out loud to no one, “could that wizard really have made the transition permanent?”
she bit her tongue on that last word. Turning her gaze at the sky, she signed and reasoned it wouldn’t be all bad. A moment past and a churning in her gut told her the truth.
Galavin and Faltex readied themselves, they didn’t want the assassin to escape and didn’t need any information from her. “It’ll be quick” He told himself, the spell he had in mind was one he learned from a vile spellbook during his travels. He didn’t like speaking the spell, felt the power of death flowing out his mouth gave him the chills. He let go of the spell holding the assassin. Allowing her to travel back to the same spot she had left. As she popped back into the space she was already spinning bringing sword over dagger, expecting some form of attack, but this attack couldn’t be stopped by any means she had. When she stopped her spin to take her surroundings. Galavin, pointing his finger at the assassin, uttered words of death and power. The assassins' eyes widened and she lunged to the side expecting more lightning or fire. From her point of view she never even landed, never hit the ground to roll back onto her feet. The only she saw was darkness.
…
Louie stretched out his limbs, bumping into the walls of the container he laid in. Opening his eyes and finishing his stretch he pushed up on the ceiling of the coffin. He carefully stepped out and on to the cold floor, noticing the fine clothing across a nearby table. While he dressed he regarded the small room and the shadowy doorway in the room. Once he was dressed he strode over walking through. His eyes adjusted to the light on the other side. He saw Galavin first, sitting behind a desk and the other, a dragonborn, stood by the bookshelf.
“If I knew I would be entertaining guests I wouldn’t have slept in so late” he said once again stretching, bringing a quick laugh from all three.
“We have a problem” Galavin stated bluntly. Pointing at the two large coins laying on the desk in front of him.
“When don’t we?” Louie laughed again. Walking over to the desk, he looked at the sorcerer as he walked. Smiling “it’s good to see you two working together again.”
The dragonborn only shifted in place at the statement.
Bringing Louie’s attention to Galavin’s gaze. “It’s the nine hells again” The wizard said, holding up a folded piece of parchment. Taking the parchment from the wizard Louie began reading the script. After a dreadful pause Luoie's eyes went wide, his face flared with rage.
“What do they mean -you owe us a debt-! That is a fraudulent accusation at best! ”
He turned to the mages, his elvish features red with anger. “Gentlemen we’re raising hell”
Continues to Part 1...The Marvelous Adventures of Galavin Wraith: Radical Sabatical: Part 1
Instead of editing this story every week and trying to make it perfect I will accept it for what it is. As one of my first stories it shows my lack of vocabulary and the beginning of the my journey as a writer. No further editing will be done by me.
