Keith Baker - The Shattered Land

“Displacer beast,” the shifter explained. “The marinade preserves the effect for a few days. Just feel around the center of the plate, you’ll find it. Trust me, it’s worth the trouble.” She inclined her head and returned to the bar.

“Apparently, nothing here is what it seems,” Daine remarked, stabbing at empty air until he found the invisible meat. “So tell us, Lakashtai. What’s the plan?”

Lakashtai studied the group spread around the table. Then, to Daine’s surprise, she sighed; for an instant her cold mask dropped away, and she looked weary and afraid. She looked away, and the moment passed.

“I do not wish to speak in this place. Finish your meal, and let us begone. I shall explain everything as we travel, and if my plan does not meet with your approval, we can return to the harbor and seek passage back to Khorvaire.”

Daine glanced at Lei and Pierce. The warforged soldier nodded gravely. Anger glittered in Lei’s eyes, but she eventually nodded. “Fine, but after this … no more surprises.”

“Of course.”

The second bell was ringing as they left the Ship’s Cat. Lakashati led the way, and when they arrived at the main road she turned south, heading away from the harbor. Gerrion had left earlier, and he was nowhere to be seen.

“Lakashtai-”

“Wait until we reach the gates of the city. There are far too many ears in this place. We shall not enter Hassalac’s domain without your approval; we could not, regardless of my desires.”

“Very well.”

Daine let Lakashtai lead the way, falling back to walk next to Lei. He offered her his hand, and she took it with a slight smile. Pierce was at the rear, studying the crowds. It seemed to Daine that Pierce was looking for something in particular-presumably, the Riedran soldiers they had fought before.

“Are you all right?” Daine murmured to Lei.

She smiled faintly and squeezed his hand. “I’m not the one with the beast in her head.”

“I know, which makes this my problem, not yours.”

Lei shrugged.

“I don’t know. You just seem tense. Angry. And you don’t have the excuse of bad dreams.” She stiffened slightly at the comment. Or does she? She spoke before he could raise the question.

“I’m not allowed to feel angry about this? About what’s happening to you?” Lei shot a glance at Lakashtai. “I don’t like this. Any of this. I don’t like her. It’s just … How do we know she isn’t using you?”

“Let’s see what she has to say. She did save my life.”

“So you say. Why didn’t you talk to us first?”

Why hadn’t he? Looking back, it was hard to remember. He’d been afraid, even embarrassed, and what could Lei have done? The kalashtar-all the stories said that they were creatures of mind and dream, and it has just seemed like the right decision at the time.

“You tried to fight this. It didn’t work, remember? She’s held it at bay, and that counts for something.”

“Still. She just happened to be going to Xen’drik? I just feel like we’re doing her dirty work.”

“A fortunate coincidence, I assure you.” They’d been speaking quietly, but not quietly enough; Lakashtai had keen ears. “It was fate that brought us together, and sometimes we must trust in the whims of fate.”

Lei scowled but said no more. She was holding her staff in her right hand, and the face carved on the shaft suddenly caught Daine’s eye; its expression was an exact mirror of Lei’s, as if the staff itself was angry. He gave Lei’s hand a gentle squeeze, and the frown faded from her face-but the staff was still scowling. Had it always been like that? For a time, they walked in silence, taking comfort in the physical connection.

They arrived at a wide plaza, the very edge of the city. Stormreach was surrounded by a wall of dark stone, and a pair of tall gates stood across the length of the square. Merchants of many races displayed their wares from simple hide tents and worn blankets. These were the people who dared to live beyond the city walls, and their goods were simple things: strange fruits, dried meat, furs. A pair of gnome scholars dressed in the blue and red robes of a Korranberg college were studying the fragments of stone and pottery offered by a scarred half-orc wrapped in a lizardskin cloak. Despite the many traders, there were fewer people in the square than they’d seen in the northern city; Stormreach was a port town, and the harbor was where its people made their living.

Lakashtai didn’t spare a glance for the traders. As soon as they passed beneath the worn arch and past the walls of the city, she turned to the southwest, leading them off of the wide, unpaved road that led toward the farms. The ground was scrubland, hard earth choked with stone and weeds, and Daine could see nothing of any possible interest.

For a few minutes they continued to walk into the wilds, then Lakashtai began to speak.

“Before I knew of your troubles, Daine, my mission was to come to Stormreach to catalog the artifacts collected by Hassalac Chaar-to ensure that he had not found anything best left undiscovered. While it would be convenient if he has discovered a weapon we could use against the forces laying siege to your dreams, I truly hope that he has not. I can think of only one place where he could find such a thing, and there are powers there no mortal should have.”

“So why-” Daine began, but Lakashtai silenced him with a raised hand.

“What we seek could only be found in one of the armories of the ancient giants-a place where they forged their weapons of war. My people have learned of one such place: the Monolith of Karul’tash. We do not know the location of Karul’tash, but I have spoken with explorers who have sold relics to Hassalac in the past, and I believe that he has a map that can show us the way.”

“That’s ridiculous,” Lei snapped. “We came all this way because we hope he might have a map to a place that may or may not still exist? If he had a map, why wouldn’t he have used it?”

“Because he will not have recognized its true nature. You will understand when you see it.”

Daine shook his head. “None of this explains why we’re in the middle of a barren field or why you had me kill a priest this morning.”

“Gerrion spoke truly earlier this morning: a manor attracts thieves. Hassalac’s abode is hidden, accessible only by teleportation, and only when he decides to open the gate.”

“Why didn’t we do something when we were in his home?”

“You saw his power, Daine. We cannot challenge him directly, but we did do something: we gave him a gift.”

Daine frowned. “That helped us how?”

A new voice spoke. “You have tricked him into revealing his location?” It was Pierce. The warforged had been silent for so long, the sound took Daine by surprise.

“Precisely,” Lakashtai said. “I possess the ability to see the auras that surround both objects and people-and if I charge an object with my energies, I can sense it from far away. We needed to present Hassalac with a treasure of such value that he would place it in his vault.”

“You could have told us this earlier,” Daine said.

Lakashtai stopped walking, and turned to face the trio. “I have no doubt that at least one of our Riedran foes can read minds, and Hassalac himself may have this power. I can shield my thoughts-you cannot. It was necessary to keep these details hidden until now.”

Daine considered this. He didn’t like it, but it made sense; after all, they did end up meeting a Riedran soldier in the tunnels, and it hadn’t occurred to him that the man might be a threat even without taking physical action.

“Very well. So where is the vault?”