). My thanks also to the crew who were along for this ride as well; kiyoti (Ali'Hussein), Muse (Zaara), Duncan (Rain) and Aitana (Hajjira). **************
Blood & Gold
Three Calishites, all very different, sat at a table in the atrium of the Golden Oak in Silverymoon. Only one of the Calishites was human, a young woman named Aliyah who was not yet twenty years old, with long, raven hair, blue-eyes, relatively fair skin for a southerner, and womanly curves that belied the strength of her legs and arms. Across the table from her sat Ali’Hussein, a dark-skinned, dark-haired hin whose cheerful banter and happy smile hid a feral disposition and a predator’s fangs. Beside Ali’Hussein sat a fire-genasi witch called Zaara. The morning sun was just starting to illuminate the trio as warm gold rays filtered through the green leaves of the great oak in the center of the atrium.
“There is a map carved into the table.” Ali’Hussein exclaimed. “I think its of a lake, and there is an X marked on it.”
Aliyah had a hang-over. She was eating eggs and bread, washing it down with a mug of weak beer. As she ate, she was talking to Zaara, the fire genasi witch.
Zaara was new to the crew, inducted because she was both from Calimshan and an arcanist. Her skin was dark like coal, and her hair was white like smoke, with a fiery crown forged of licking orange flame. Her eyes burned bright gold, shining out from her dark skin so intensely that Aliyah thought she was a demon when they first met; and Zaara’s personality was every bit as intense as her appearance.
Although initially intimidating, Zaara’s intensity did not deter Aliyah for long. At Ali’Hussein’s urging, Aliyah began asking Zaara whether Zaara wanted to f*ck Rain. Aliyah did not really care what the answer was, she just thought it was fun to ask. Before Zaara could answer, however, Ali’Hussein interrupted them with his discovery of the map carved into the table.
“Yeah? So what?” Aliyah asked Ali. So there is something carved into a tavern table. Big deal. We live in a world full of people who carry knives and drink a lot; there are carvings in all the tables in all the taverns in all the ports of the world.
“Well, its interesting.” Ali insisted.
“Interesting?” Aliyah said incredulously. “You’re not thinking of going out to look for that X are you?”
As they debated the intelligence of following a map they found carved into a tavern table, Ali’Hussein’s sister, a tiny, white-haired Calishite hin named Hajjra, and the huge air-genasi called Rain, entered the atrium of the Golden Oak. Aliyah presumed they were returning from the University. Rain often accompanied Hajjira to the school and waited for her while she took classes there. Aliyah was positive Rain’s largesse was not just the generosity of a friend looking out for his comrade’s sister, but something more romantic. Unfortunately, both were so uptight nothing interesting had happened yet. Aliyah began pondering ways to make that happen.
“There could be gold there.” Ali said optimistically, prattling on about his ‘table-map.’ Zaara produced charcoal and parchment, and soon a rubbing was done.
Aliyah frowned, leaning over the table to look at the map. Not far from where Ali’Hussein’s map was carved, someone had cut a picture of a phallus into the table. “There is a cock carved here too.” Aliyah said. “Think that means something? Are you really going to follow a map carved into a tavern table?”
“You have something better to do?” Ali asked, ignoring the carving of a cock that Aliyah had pointed out.
Actually, no I don’t. Aliyah thought. “Fine.” She said, dropping her fork. “Fine.” Might as well chase snarks and grumpkins, but hey, it beats sitting here all alone drinking myself into a stupor. Again.
In short order, Rain, Hajjira, Zaara, Ali and Aliyah were headed out to find the mysterious lake and it’s ominous but enticing big “X.” They traveled west to Meteor Lake, but the map they made from the rubbing did not match the terrain they found.
Ali was clearly confused. He turned the map sideways, then back, then sideways the other way. Aliyah knew maps; her father Ibrahim had been a cartographer, but there was no way she was volunteering to help interpret a map they found carved in between crude cuttings of cocks and insults on some tavern table. It was ridiculous.
“I think we need to head towards Quarvaar.” Ali’Hussein said finally. So the crew trudged down the road, eventually turning north. Ali turned off the main trail as they came upon the lake where the gnome’s tower was.
“The X is just in the middle of the lake.” Ali said.
“Great, you found the enchanted tavern-table map to the gnome tower.” Sarcasm dripped from every one of Aliyah’s words.
The crew walked north along the shore, following the trail that ran alongside the rocky cliff overlooking the water. Near the end of the trail Aliyah, who was scouting ahead, found a campsite.
“Five bedrolls.” Aliyah reported back to the others. There was a campfire and it was smoldering. Whoever made this camp was not long gone. Aliyah searched the bedrolls while the others fanned out as best they good, looking for anyone or anything.
Rain’s voice caught Aliyah’s attention. She walked down the trail to where he stood, pointing out at the water. There was something out there, under the surface, gleaming. Gleaming like .. gold?
No f*cking way. Aliyah thought. There is no f*cking way that stupid map leads to treasure. Who in the nine hells would carve a TREASURE MAP into a tavern table?
“I’ll check it out.” Aliyah said, not even believing the words coming out of her own mouth. Whether this was ridiculous or not, she knew she was probably the best swimmer in the crew. She dropped her quivers, and unslung her satchel, leaving all her extraneous gear on the ground. She left a dagger in her right boot, a potion in her left boot, and carried her killing-knife in her hand. Then she dove in.
The water was cold, but nothing Aliyah had not felt before. Looking underwater the gleaming thing was even brighter. It really looked like gold down there. She swam out until she was directly over whatever it was, maybe fifty feet from shore. She took a couple of deep breaths, then dove towards the bottom.
It was a chest. A big, wooden, iron-bound chest sitting open on the bottom of the lake, practically overflowing with gold coin; and not just gold coins, but platinum, electrum and silver too. Aliyah just stared at it for a moment. It was amazing. It had to be an illusion or a trap. She got a little closer but did not try to take any of the coins yet.
Then the chest lunged forward and bit her.
The whole chest moved, on its own, the lid closing down on her left arm like a giant mouth. Blood poured from her forearm and she had to fight the urge to scream. She turned her body and tried to twist her arm out of the monster’s grip, but she could not get free. She put a boot on the beast and tried to pull out, but she only managed to tear up her left arm more.
The damned chest was alive! And it was eating her arm! Worse yet, it was holding her down here at the bottom of the lake.
Deseprately, she tried swimming to the surface, but the chest was weighing her down. Aliyah kicked and kicked, but the damn thing would not budge. Her lungs began to burn. She had to get free of this thing or she was going to drown.
On shore, Zaara was getting worried. Rain descended the rocky shore into the water. He could not swim in his plate armor, but he was an air genasi and he would not drown. He could literally walk across the bottom of the lake to Aliyah if he had too. With his huge black greatsword drawn, he waded in.
That was when the five owners of the five bedrolls showed up. There were three cutters, a bugbear and a man in robes. Led by a tanned swordswoman, they were not in a mood to parley, despite Zaara’s best efforts. Rain looked out towards where Aliyah had submerged but not returned, then looked back at Ali’Hussein, Zaara and Hajjira facing off against five enemies. He could not leave the crew’s two nascent wizards to fight a bunch of cutters on their own with just Ali’Hussein to protect them. Rain headed back to shore; Aliyah would have to save herself.
Aliyah flexed her left arm, bringing her closer to the mimic. The mimic was trying to drown her by holding her under water, and the plan was working. Aliyah was a good swimmer, but she could not hold her breath forever.
She reversed the grip on her killing-knife, braced her knees against the monster, and brought the killing knife down on it as hard as she could. Then she did it again. And again. She stabbed faster and harder, faster and harder, fighting wildly to get free. Blood filled the water; hers and the mimic’s. She kept stabbing and stabbing. Her lungs burned as she brought the knife down again and again.
She was floating; it had let go. She kicked towards the surface, her lungs ready to burst, and then she felt the warm rays of the sun on her face and she was gasping, air coming in and she was alive.
The sound of steel on steel caught her attention. Aliyah wiped her face and looked ashore where she saw a ball of fire engulf Ali’Hussein, Hajjira and Zaara. When the flames cleared, only Ali’Hussein was still standing. Rain had avoided the fireball, having charged into melee with the enemy cutters.
Aliyah swam as fast she could, her lungs still burning, her left arm torn to shreds and bleeding profusely. She crawled up the grey rocks, killing-knife in hand, but it was over by the time she got out of the water. Blood splattered but unbowed, Rain stood alone in a field of carnage, while Ali’Hussein tended to Hajjira and Zaara. Both the witches were still alive, if a bit cooked. The five fools from the campsite, however, were all dead.
Spiting up lake water, Aliyah fell to her knees, trying to catch her breath. Ali’Hussein tended to her wounds and soon she felt strength returning to her left arm.
“Gold.” She said to the rest of the crew. “There is a lot of gold down there I think.”
Once healed, she swam back out and dove down to where she had fought the mimic. She prodded the unnatural beast with her sword, but it did not move; in her desperate attempt to get free, she had killed it.
And there was gold. So much gold.
Half an hour later, Rain walked out of the lake carrying a huge sack. Aliyah followed, climbing up out of the rocks, knife still in hand. She had swum above Rain, covering him, while he walked on the lake’s bottom. Rain dropped the sack and coins spilled out. Hundreds of them. Maybe thousands. Aliyah could not tell. The coins were gold, platinum, electrum, and silver, from Tethyr to Aglaraond and all points in between. The map had been real. The X was the mimic and its accumulated treasure. Aliyah could scarcely believe it. So convinced it was an illusion or trick, she had Zaara examine what they brought up. Aliyah bit one of the gold coins herself, and it was as real as real got. The treasure was amazing. She had nearly paid for this wealth with her life, but now, having escaped the mimic’s deadly grip, sitting here staring at the mounds of coins, Aliyah had to admit that following the table map had been a good move. They were rich. Not that she would ever admit that to Ali’Hussein.
Dusk approached, so the crew quickly divided up the coins, and took what little of worth they could scavenge from the five dead fools. As they walked back to the road, heavier in load but lighter in step, Ali’Hussein turned to Aliyah.
“What do you think of my table map now?” He asked with a smug grin.
“Well, I think I know where you can finally find a cock.” She answered.
The rest of the crew laughed and Aliyah smiled. She was in a good mood for the first time since Nisha had left. All it took was blood and gold, and there was plenty of both to be had in the world. They just had to go out and take it.
