02 City of Torment by Forgotten Realms

Author:Forgotten Realms [Realms, Forgotten]
Format: epub
Published: 2010-04-10T11:44:20.398000+00:00

Thoster took it and glanced at Seren and Raidon. "Each of us should take one swig. We should be at the top of our game before we begin the expedition." The captain handed the vial to the monk. Raidon nodded and took a small sip. The wizard wasn't certain she could detect any change in the man. When the vial passed to her, she took a large mouthful. Like ice water on a blazing day, the fluid cooled her mouth and throat. Scrapes, pulls, and pains she hadn't even realized she bore faded. Captain Thoster finished the last of the fizzing blue liquid. The most serious cut, the one running down his face from his left eye to under his jawbone, slowly faded, leaving behind only the faintest of white lines to mark it. "Seren," said the captain, as he dropped the empty vial. "What happened, if you don't mind my asking?" She pushed away her thoughts of the slaad and sighed. "I warned you other things out of the Elemental Chaos might slip through when I summoned the gleamtails." She raised her hand in a wide showman's gesture. Like stars over the world that had lost their way, myriad points of light swirled around the ship. Each one was a fishlike creature of the Chaos. Each gleamed its own hue, and among them some shone emerald, sapphire, and amethyst. Seren continued, "And knowing that, I warned you both to be ready. The way I see it, events occurred as I predicted. Except now that I think on it, I didn't see either of you on deck as I finished the ritual. Perhaps if you'd been around, we could have prevented the creatures from crossing over in the first place." Thoster's brow furrowed in thought. "Seren," said Raidon as he watched the crew attend to the needs of the ship and the wounded. "Yes?" "Now that the gleamtails are here, how do we proceed?" His eyes, black as the depths of the sea, turned their regard on her. She wasn't ready to move on. "And where were you when I finished my ritual? You're the reason we're putting ourselves at such risk." Raidon replied, "You're right, Seren. Please forgive me. My thoughts were elsewhere. I hope my lapse didn't cause you any lasting harm." He didn't look away as he spoke. Seren had expected some sort of excuse or defense. She was put off by the simple apology. This one saw the world differently than most, that was certain. She wasn't sure she liked it. Maybe he thought his example would move her to apologize for not disclosing her time with the Red Wizards. "Well," broke in Thoster, "I wasn't on deck because I have a ship to run. I guess I figured your warning was more for form than anything else. From now on, Seren, if you say jump, I'll ask how high." Seren felt her mouth quirk toward a smile. The captain had that effect on her sometimes. Her defensive anger began to drain.

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