Inas nods in a manner indicating that Elixi's words are not surprising to him.  "There is no other way, then?  Even now, she is recovering?"

Rath had given the stone dagger to Inas, back on the dragon island.

Now, he looked darkly at Elexi. Miserable, angry.  Without taking his eyes off the warlock, he put out his hand toward the ranger, waiting for the weapon to be returned to him.

Saliq had smiled as the dreams departed, but that expression faded as he heard Elexi's words.

He held up his hand to try and keep the peace. 'Is there no trick we can try? My art can do many things and if being in Dream has taught me anything it has taught me that what merely appears real can truly be real enough.'

Elexi doesn't stop looking at Rath, but answers Saliq,

"This is my release, to return home, it is not a murder.  I chose this and for whatever its worth, I chose Aldo Rathmus to finish what many others could not.  Not out of cruelty, though it may weigh on him, but because he takes it seriously, because he will not be goaded, shamed, or taunted into it, and I could try all those things, but he will chose to do what is necessary, or so I hope. "

Rath didn't take his eyes off the warlock. His outreached hand twitched. "Eionsson," he rasped. "The knife."

"Gods, what a cruel thing to do," Marissa said to Elexi. "May you get what you deserve."

Inas wordlessly gives the knife to Rath.

'Farewell Elexi,' Saliq said, his eyes getting misty. 'My you find happiness in your next stage of existence.'

"Nobody gets what they deserve," Rath answered Marissa, but his eyes were locked on Elixi's. At Saliq's blessing, well, Rath only tightened his jaw. The knife was in his hand. "And Elexi," Rath said, voice rough. "Only my mama calls me Aldo."

He plunged the knife into the warlock, straight into the festering wound, drew it out again, and stabbed him again in the neck.

"I consider myself a fair woman," Marissa said after Elexi falls. "A shipmate fails in his duties, and I mete out punishment upon the Captain's Mast. Elexi's death was done fairly, and just and in the end, I believe it was a relief to him, albeit not his sister. I shed no tears for either."

Inas still doesn't say anything, but watches to see what happened and insure that what he sees is truly the end.

And so ends, with no fanfare, or fireworks, or mystery.  The old warlock has no last words, nor flinches away, and so Rath's final acts are quick and efficient.  The old man slumps to the ground.  He is clearly and truly dead, and if he was ever to believed on anything he said, his sister has died as well.

If any proof of that was needed, Marissa suddenly has a feeling of Astral, safe and flying high above the ocean, enjoying time with a bunch very large sea birds, and making her way towards Stormhaven.

Saliq lets out a breath he had not even known he had been holding in. 'Poor man. Let us bury him and then head home.'

"Astral flies free," Marissa said. "The death of the warlock seems to have triggered a response in our little ward. My vision was clear."

Rath went about interring the body with dark eyes and a grim face, saying little to nothing. He had no prayers, no invocations by which to send the warlock away. Neither did he curse. He gathered his gear from the warlock's residence, and he wrapped the stone knife in a heavy cloth and packed it away.

Marissa understands a bit of what Rath is going through.

She places a gentle hand upon his shoulder and says, "Let's get back to civilization. We've each earned a bit rest."

ooc: famous last words...
This message was last edited by the player at 12:48, Mon 03 June 2019.

The body attended to, Inas looks for any tomes or manuscripts.

In little time, the body is buried and Inas has loaded a chest of old books into the small boat and the group makes its way home to Stormhaven. The books will be an excellent and rare addition to the library at their tower.

Over the next few days the party reunites with friends, family, and lovers where appropriate! It has been almost a month since this strange journey began, and many are interested to know where they have been and what they have encountered.   It is the second morning when they awake at the tower (those who are there), that you find Astral curled up on one of the guest beds.  Happy and exuberant in finding you all well!

Stormhaven has rebuilt a lot of the damage from the long winter and heavy storms leading up to the battle to stop Syrix.   There are two new buildings that have begun, one a new church in Oldgate (The Church of Peace), the other an addition to the Lords Keep.  These projects have brought in many workers, much activity and sparked the towns economy.   A new sense of hope has blossomed in the city after the long, long winter.

The tower itself is nearly half way remodeled, all of the parties individual rooms are complete and made to specification, the lower levels damage repaired but many of the common areas and upper tower still need much work.  Forman Dreadi has been tapped to help with several other of the buildings and repairs in the city so work has slowed, plus, the coffers set up by Ben are nearly dry.  Repairing an ancient tower is quite expensive.


As it turns out, that will not be a problem for the group.  After several nice days spent with Astral, time comes for the final bit of this journey, to return the little wing to seven falls canyon, and to the great dragons who will train her.  This is done with some joy, as it is a pleasant journey for once, no enemy or curse hanging over their head.  No deadlines, just a relaxed hike.  The only darkness is knowing at its end, a parting of friends with Astral, at least for awhile.


True to their word, the dragons are waiting, and so is a wagon with horse, loaded full with chests of silver, gold, copper, jewels, and one large white diamond.  All in all, nearly 100,000 gold peices in wealth, and one magic diamond, a rare white wardstone.   Parting is sad but all promise to meet again some day, and the journey home is easy if not a bit melancholy.

ooc:  So ends the adventurers quests to save Astral and restore her to her kind, to remove the threat of the Witch of Morde Isle.  A great Good done, and great Evil destroyed.  In the process, they have crossed the lands of Dream, and freed an island of enslaved Dragons.  What will come of that, fate only knows. Yet again the Heroes of Stormhaven have proven up to every challenge and their legend grows!!

Marissa spends as much time with Astral as possible before she leaves. Once the dragons are gone, she submerges herself in finding out what her crew was up to during her absence. Inspecting The Night's Wraith from fore to aft and port to starboard - and all spaces below decks - she points out areas that need cleaning and offers such encouragement as she is able. It is obvious that she loves her ship, and loves the sea that offers her largesse. Still there is a small whole in her heart whenever she stops long enough to think about Astral.

Saliq feels torn watching 'Little Wing' depart. While he is very fond of the tiny dragon she is exhausting.

In Stormhaven he returns gratefully to cool and pleasant confines of the Mages Guild. Saliq is happy to return to teaching, and research and checks in on the students he had made the acquaintance of Darius (who is called Chip), Erwyn Thyss, and Lisban.

Much of his conversation is with Master Azuth. Saliq enthusiastically details his adventures, especially his remarkable passage through the strange realm of Dream.

Rath's rooms at the tower were seldom slept in, though he visited the place every day or two.

He spent the late afternoons walking the city, each day finding a new place to watch the sun drop in the west. Despite having the obvious favor of the gods, he was never one to offer prayers to Pelor. The important rituals were in the morning, which he ignored and in fact slept through. There were established minor rituals for sunset, of course. These also Rath ignored, but he was silently developing his own quiet ones. It was the stars that drew him, that gave him his first real sense of the divine. As the Eye of Pelor, the sun, extinguished, the blaze of starlight erupted slowly in the ink-blue-black sky. The first star -- a bright blue light, hanging high, a herald to the next. And the next. And a thousand, a hundred thousand, and uncounted multitude of lights. Every one an Eye. Every one a more mild eye than the blasting, warming, burning, enlightening, blinding Sun. Every one a spear into Rath's soul. A hundred thousand spears, pinning Rath to the world like a splayed butterfly.

When the sun was down and the stars were out and the city was at its darkest, Rath prowled Stormhaven. The docks, the Narrows, the filthy alleys and cramped dens. The sick houses, the poor houses, the soup kitchens, the prisons. He took away blindness, drove away fever. He fed the hungry and anyone who pretended hunger. These were the people who would not seek out the temple of Pelor. They would not set foot in the new-built Church of Peace. But they were under the stars. Rath did not ask who deserved healing, who had earned a meal. Did not ask who, because of selfishness or violence or cowardice, deserved pain and death.  No one under the Sun gets what they deserve. But all who were under the Sun were also under the stars. Everyone was hungry. Everyone was wounded. Everyone was diseased.

In the late of night, Rath went to Rose. Together they found comfort, but Rath was distant in a way that saddened them both. Still, they cleaved to one another. Then sleep, and while they slept, the Sun rose again.

Rath agreed to escort Astral back to the Seven Falls Canyon. "I got the feeling you won't need me," he told Marissa,  "but, honest, I think I need to see the dragon get home." It was a pleasant enough journey. Rath took some satisfaction that Inas was getting his crisis-free journey, the one he spoke of at the paladin's tomb. On the trail, every evening Rath watched for the blue star. He stayed up late, and he dragged himself out of his bedroll grudgingly each morning.

Saying good-bye to Astral, Rath smirked. "Just remember who broke you out of that cage, right?" He gave her a long look, offered her his hand to sniff or to lick, and turned away to give Marissa space to have her time with Astral.

The dragon's hoard -- or half of it -- seemed to Rath a preposterous pile of wealth. Enough to feed the city. If folks could eat gold.


----

OOC: Sorry if this is a little over-the-top. I figured it was time for Rath to have a religious experience.

Inas spends the first days relaxing.  He wanders around the city, looking, observing, and saying little.

On the second day back (and before departing to return Astral home), Inas seeks out Saliq . . .

Saliq invited Inas to the Rose and Cricket for a quiet talk.

OOC: Ha!  Through diligent research I found what I was looking for!

I have posted in a new thread to go from here, Interludes.... please consider this thread at its end.