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Reign of Winter CHAPTER 90

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CHAPTER 90

Kileanna



Following Efrixes and Bescaylie, we flew across the mountains and, sooner than we expected, we had Spurhorn at sight. It was an imposing view: a large fortress built atop of a rocky crag with no visible access from land. We couldn't see the camps from the attacking army from our position, but Bescaylie warned us of the winged creatures flying around from a prudent distance. They were not Spurhorn's defenders nor local fauna.

-Those are frost drakes- the dragon rider said-. They are there to make sure that no one gets in or out.

-How did you evade them last time?- I asked, thinking that maybe we could copy her strategy.

-They weren't there when I left- Bescaylie explained-. The siege started while I was out.

-They should not be faster than me- Efrixes said with a deep, potent voice-. I should be able to do a stealth approach from above and get past them before they can get me, but you are too slow.

-If we can get close enough, we might be able to enter via Dimensional Door.- Arthur suggested, referring to our short range teleport. It always amazed me how wizards seemed to have an official name for each spell.

-No!- Efrixes roared- Everyone who tries to teleport into Spurhorn disappears not to be seen again.

I wanted to ask why, but I didn't have much time of flight remaining and, in case that they knew, they wouldn't probably share their secrets with strangers.

-Then, if our speed is the issue, we could also get a burst of speed to get past them.- Arthur tried again.

-That might work- Bescaylie admitted-. Follow us, we must fly as high as we can to avoid being seen.

Said that, Efrixes flew up with the wind.

-What's happening?- Argentea asked.

-We are going to try to evade the patrols.- Arthur explained.

As we flew higher and higher, the cold increased to next to unbearable levels. Bescaylie and Efrixes didn't seem to notice (despite the well known hatred red dragons have for cold environments), and neither did Arthur. He was a specialist on protective spells and it showed. The height and the wind made breathing hard too, and we were surrounded by fog that clouded our vision. Even the owls, who were adapted to harsh conditions, couldn't take the strength of the wind and we had to carry them in our arms. Fortunately, before the conditions turned completely unbearable, Bescaylie announced that it was time to descend.

-Whatever you do, don't stay behind!- She warned us- Those are only patrols, but if you stay and fight you'll have half the Drakelands army on you and I won't stay to help you. They won't follow us close to Spurhorn because that would be their death.

-Understood.- Arthur said solemnly.

Arthur transmitted the instructions to Argentea quickly, while I cast a spell to speed us up. I wasn't sure if affecting Efrixes was a good idea, as he was already too fast and he could easily leave us behind, but I didn't think that leaving him out would be polite either.

-Now!- Bescaylie cried out, as Efrixes swept down towards the fortress. We followed on a free fall, with the wind feeling like razors on our cheeks. Down below, the frost drakes had noticed our presence, and were flying towards us. One of them roared a warning. Like Bescaylie said, we would have half an army on us if we weren't fast enough.
Drake by LeilaAscariz
Art (c) Paizo publishing


There were three frost drakes getting close to our position but, following Efrixes' path, we managed to maneuver, leaving them behind while getting closer to the fortress. I could already see the arbalists on the walls and watchtowers. Momentarily intimidated by the sight, I wondered if we should keep approaching before Bescaylie announced our arrival, but a look behind to the frost drakes convinced me that it was our best chance. We were almost there, just a last push and…

-Watch out!- Argentea warned us, pointing down. A dragon, rather similar to Efrixes but with brass-colored scales, was flying towards us from below, carrying a hooded rider on their back. Like Efrixes, they were way faster than us, and they were maneuvering to block our way before we got to the fortress. Maybe we could defeat them quickly, but then the frost drakes would reach us. We couldn't stop for a fight under any circumstances. Putting the dragon to sleep would solve all our issues, but dragons were as impervious to sleep magic as elves were (real elves, not me), so I'd have to think of something else. I had a new trick, which was one of the favorites of the Winter Witches and somehow had fallen into Nina's hands. Praying that the brass dragon wasn't highly resistant to cold (as the environment suggested they could be) I concentrated the energies of winter and exhaled them towards our flying enemy. Shining crystals formed around the wings and between the scales as the brass dragon plummeted to the ground, carrying the rider with them. Now there was nothing standing between us and the fortress.

When Efrixes was about to reach the wall, he was greeted by a flurry of crossbow bolts. He wasn't yet in range, but it was a warning: don't come closer or you're dead. The first group of arbalists took cover to reload as a second one occupied their place, aiming at us. Bescaylie cried out a single meaningless word, a password, but nothing happened. Literally nothing, not even when Efrixes, carried over by the momentum of his flight, got into firing range.

-They won't shoot! Come in!- Bescaylie cried out, waving her arm for us to follow her, only a few seconds before disappearing behind Spurhorn's walls.

Though it was theoretically safe to approach, flying towards people who were aiming at us seemed counterintuitive. I didn't dare to hesitate, though, as just imagining the frost drakes right behind me gave me the courage to take the risk against Spurhorn's defenders. Argentea seemed to have no doubt either, which reinforced my determination. Arthur must be right behind us, but I didn't dare to look back. I just kept flying, holding my breath until I crossed the line of arbalists safely and landed at the courtyard, where we were quickly surrounded by a group of soldiers. They all looked like Bescaylie: tall and hairy, though they were as varied in complexion and hair color as humans and elves could be. Argentea was looking around nervously, a hand on her sword, studying carefully our chances in case we needed to fight. Arthur and I stood together behind her and next to Efrixes, with our hands up in a gesture of surrender. We knew we didn't stand a chance against a whole regiment.

-These foreigners have offered us help- Bescaylie announced loudly-. I need to see Commander Pharamol. I have news for him.

-He is reunited in a council with the senior officers.- A black haired man in an intricate armor replied.

-Good- Bescaylie replied-. Take us there.

The soldier frowned at the dragon rider's demanding words, but he didn't protest. Instead, he commanded a small group among his men to escort us to the conference room.

As we crossed the courtyard, all eyes were on us, making it evident that we weren't trusted or welcome there. I started to wonder if we had made the right choice by letting Bescaylie bring us to a potential enemy fortress.

-Can you use your magic to make me speak their language too?- Argentea asked Arthur in a low voice as we were led to one of the vigilance towers.

-I am afraid that I cannot.- Arthur apologized-, not until tomorrow.

-I'm sorry that you wasted it on me.- I said, feeling a sudden wave of guilt.

-Shut up- Argentea replied dismissively-. I suppose they are taking us to speak to their leader, right?- She kept talking without waiting for a reply- Just remember that these people are military. Like in Castle Eastwatch. Just do as I taught you and, most important: do not let them intimidate you.

I nodded. I was so nervous that my knees barely held me. As we talked, we were led downstairs to an underground level, barely lit by torches. The oppressive environment only increased my anxiety.

-You and Arthur will do fine- Argentea kept saying-. Just remember that they need us. That is why we are here, and that gives us control over the situation, even if it does not seem so.

I forced a smile and nodded faintly. I didn't really think I could do it, but at least I had Arthur. Arthur knew what to do.

After going through a maze of dark corridors, we reached the conference room. Even from the other side of the heavy stone doors, we could hear the sound of voices in a heated discussion. The sole idea of getting inside a room full of angry people made me want to try my luck with the frost drakes outside but, at this point, I didn't have a choice.

As one of our scorts announced our presence using the large bronze knocker at the door, an aged voice invited us to come in. Efrixes stepped ahead and opened the heavy door effortlessly, though I didn't think it would have been half as easy for smaller creatures like us. From inside, more than a dozen eyes stared at us. There were both dragons and people like Bescaylie occupying positions of equal importance, but one of them (probably Commander Pharamol) held the most prominent seat. The white hair on his face and body made me think that he was no longer young, though he still was in an enviable shape.
Pharamol by LeilaAscariz
Art (c) Paizo publishing


-Bescaylie, Efrixes, come in- he said with a deep voice-. The rest of you, please wait there.

"As if we could go anywhere." I thought as the dragon and his rider entered the room and the door closed in front of us, leaving us in the company of our silent escort.

We didn't have to wait for long, but it felt like an eternity to me. I wanted to know what was going on inside there, what were Bescaylie and Efrixes telling their superiors about us. Finally, the doors opened again and we were invited to come in. It surprised me that we weren't told at any point to hand down our weapons, but I supposed that it was a matter of superiority more than a matter of trust. There were ten of them in the room, five of them dragons, all of them fully armed and prepared for war. How much of a threat could we pose to them? The whole situation seemed to be made to make us feel insignificant, with the leaders sitting on their stone chairs around us, while we had to stand up in the center of the room, with all eyes on us, evaluating us, judging us. Even Bescaylie and Efrixes, who seemed so confident on the battlefield, appeared to feel somewhat uncomfortable.

-I am Commander Pharamol- the white haired man spoke- and this is my bonded partner, Amerenth.- He added, pointing at the gold dragon sitting at his right with a soft inclination of his head. Then he proceeded to introduce the rest of the people in the room. Arthur did his best to act as a translator for Nadya and Argentea, while I listened attentively to try and remember each name. When we were asked to introduce ourselves, I was quick to respond, not realizing what that would mean to our Dragon Legion hosts: they labeled me as the leader of the group and, from then on, they would address me everytime they wanted to pose a question.

They interrogated us for a while about where we came from and why we were there, sometimes making the same questions more than once, probably to make sure that we didn't incur on contradictions. I thought that, given the situation, it would be better to be honest, so I gave them the full story. Most of them had never heard of Baba Yaga, though the oldest looking of them, a gray-haired woman with cloudy eyes, called Jarilne, recognized the name as a powerful witch from ancient legends. She was also the most interested in knowing more about our homeland and the magic that had brought us here, while the rest of her companions seemed more interested in judging if we were telling the truth and how much they could trust us.

-You are talking too much- Argentea whispered at my back-. You must learn more about them.

I nodded subtly. She was right.

-So…- I said almost in a whisper- How do you call this world?

-This world?- Commander Pharamol asked, giving me a confused stare. He was probably wondering of how much help we could be if we didn't even know where we were.

-Triaxus.- A female blue dragon called Nevra replied with a warm voice. She seemed to be one of the few who didn't outright suspect us.


-I am sorry- I apologized-. I know this can be annoying, but we have just arrived and we know nothing about…

-Louder and more confident.- Argentea whispered behind me, even before Arthur translated what I had said to Nadya and her.

-I mean… We recently arrived on Triaxus, and we know nothing of this war- I started again, trying not to sound like the terrified mess I was-. If we want to be of any help, we must know who our enemies are, what kind of resources they have and… uh… everything you know about them, actually.

-I must ask- one of the Triaxian men, called Thronull, said with a skeptical look. He was tall and wiry, with balding head, nose, and cheeks-: have you ever fought in a war?

-I have- Arthur replied with a confident voice-. I participated in the war against the White Overlord Gellidus. The rest of us are more experienced in bringing down smaller groups of enemies. We are a well coordinated team.

-Good to know.- Commander Pharamol replied neutrally while his gold companion, Amerenth, kept an analytical stare on us.

-Did you mention a white overlord?- Herjan, the scarred black dragon asked with curiosity-. A dragon, maybe?

Arthur nodded.

-Gellidus was a foreign dragon who conquered our lands and intended to bring eternal winter to our world- He explained-. I took part in defeating his hordes.

-What a coincidence…- Herjan hissed suspiciously.

-Why?- I inquired.

-Yrax, the warlord behind the army that devastates our lands, is no other than a white dragon- Jarilne, the near blind Triaxian woman, explained kindly-. Too much of a coincidence? Indeed. Probably the hands of fate.

Jarilne's words only made me more nervous. I could deal with the Dragon Legion's mistrust, but I didn't know what to do with them putting their hopes in us. We had never fought an army. The biggest dragon that most of us had ever seen was the lizard at the clock tower. Arthur had filled them with unrealistic expectations and I didn't want to be a disappointment.

-What are we fighting against?- I asked- What can we expect from them, aside from a white dragon?

-Oh, no, according to our patrols, Yrax is not here- Commander Pharamol replied-. He has a powerful army and no need to come here in person.

"I hope that doesn't mean that the Drakelands Army is beyond our possibilities." I thought, but I refused to formulate it aloud to avoid sounding bleak.

-The army is mostly composed by barbarians from the Drakelands- Nevra explained-, though there are also some dragonkin who are loyal to Yrax.

-Dragonkin?- I asked, interrupting her speech.

-Like us.- She replied, touching her chest with her long hand.

-Aren't you dragons?- I asked, feeling like I was saying something stupid.

Nevra laughed softly, evidently pleased.

-Sort of- she replied-. We could say we are distant cousins. If you ask a dragon, they would say we are lesser versions of them but, then, there are few "high" dragons remaining.

-Dragons are arrogant- Herjan, the black, grunted-. They avoid forming close bonds with anyone. We have proved to be smarter than them.

As he spoke, Herjan nodded to his rider, a short haired Triaxian man that had been introduced to us as Zusk.
Zusk by LeilaAscariz
Art (c) Paizo publishing


I couldn't help but think about the dragons from Krynn. Though the younger ones had participated in multiple wars, the oldest tended to be rather similar to what Herjan described: arrogant loners who choose not to get involved in mortal affairs. And it probably was for the best, as the few exceptions I knew only got involved to become tyrants and oppressors.

-What else can we expect from the attackers?- Arthur asked, trying to bring the conversation back to its tracks.

-Aside from the frost drakes you have already seen- the Commander continued-, we know they are keeping several beasts in pens, though we don't know of which kind.

-Do they count with any spellcasters on their ranks?- Arthur said.

-Yes- Jarilne replied with a confident nod-. Their camp is protected against magical espionage, which means they must have some proficient spellcasters with them.

-What about us?- I asked.

-Our seers are skilled in divination and protective magic- replied Jarilne-, but our knowledge of offensive spells is rather limited.

I saw Arthur raise an eyebrow from the corner of my eye. I figured out what he was thinking: that was basically him. Though they probably didn't need to hear that their "saviors" had similar abilities to theirs and little to no experience in a real war.

-My magic allows me to bring strong opponents down easily, one at once- I said, faking confidence-. And I am rather good at healing, too.

-You will do a good job as an independent unit- Commander Pharamol observed-. The Drakelands Army has been gathering troops, and we are expecting the last of them to arrive today, so the attack might happen at any time. It's late for you to take instruction with the rest of the troops, but you can be sent to attack or defend specific targets as a mobile team.

I nodded.

-We can do that.

-How kind of you to risk your lives for us.- Herjan said, without hiding his suspicion.

-We came here looking for something- I confessed-, and we would be really grateful if you could help us.

-What is it?- Herjan asked, seemingly more relaxed after I admitted that we weren't just being charitable.

I hesitated before speaking. What if I asked for was something they didn't want to give away? Would that destroy all the little trust we had earned so far?

-We are looking for an item- I finally said dubiously, as I pulled out the coin with the two-headed eagle and handed it to the Commander-. This is a representation of it.

The Triaxian man grabbed the coin and examined it with curiosity.

-Oh, the eagle- he replied-. It is a precious and rare animal. We have never seen another like it.

-Wait, it is a real animal?- I asked in bewilderment.

-Yes.- Commander Pharamol replied.

-Is it alive?- I asked again.

-Yes.- The Commander raised his brow, clearly not understanding my shock. One of the keys was alive. Were we really supposed to boil and stir a living animal in the cauldron?- If we survive and you want it, it is yours.

-But…- I hesitated- It isn't too much, is it? If it's some sort of sacred animal or…

-No- Commander Pharamol said dismissively-, it's just a rare animal. An old woman gave it to me as a present months ago, and it has become sort of Spurhorn's pet since then.

An old woman? I immediately thought of Baba Yaga. Might she have given it to the Commander? We had no way of knowing.

-If you're attached to it…- I insisted under Arthur's reproving stare. I couldn't help but feel guilty for accepting the key as a reward. It seemed like I was putting a price on their lives.

-We are more attached to living.- Zusk replied with a deep voice.

The Commander nodded in agreement.

-The bird is not that important.- He confirmed.

-Then we will gladly accept it- I said, trying to show my gratitude-. Thank you so much.

-One thing I am curious about, if I may ask- Arthur intervened-, is the origin of this war.

-Like in all wars- Nevra, the blue dragonkin, replied calmly-, someone has something the other one wants. In this case, our lands.

As Arthur translated these words to Nadya and Argentea, the latter sighed.

-So the people from the Drakelands are invaders… I suppose we have chosen the right side after all.- She whispered, relieved. For her, this was more than a tool to get the Hut's keys. As a knight, she would never join a cause that she didn't consider honorable.

-I hope you understand that we are on a quest and we cannot stay long- Arthur spoke honestly-. We will aid against this attack, but there is not much more we can do after that.

-I understand- Commander Pharamol replied with a firm voice-. We are the last line of defense that keeps the people from the Drakelands from ravaging our lands and killing our people. Our situation now is desperate. Yrax will keep sending his troops from Ivoryglass, but if we can win this assault, we will have all the time we need to prepare ourselves for the next one. Your help here is providential.

"Great." I thought. "No pressure at all."

-Ivoryglass- Arthur repeated, making a connection that, because of my nervousness and discomfort, I hadn't immediately made. An ivory tusk and a glass mirror. That was the other clue that the ravens had given us-, is that the name of the dragon's lair?

-Yes.- The Commander replied.

-That's our next destination- I revealed, completely intentionally. If they believed that we were going to get rid of their enemy, they were less likely to think of us as expendable-. One of the items we're looking for is there.

-Yrax won't give his treasures away as easily as we do.- Commander Pharamol warned us.

-He is a dragon- Arthur replied naturally-. Of course he will not.

-We will fight him, if we must.- I said with more security than I had expected. Lately, my life seemed to consist of fighting and killing things, and living in constant fear for my friends lives, to a point that it felt almost natural, like it had always been like that. And that was scary.

-You have been brought here by Providence, indeed- Jarilne said in awe-. That would really solve most of our problems.

"Providence." I thought, ironically. "More like an old cunning witch who rightly thought that giving her keys to enemy nations would make them difficult and dangerous to retrieve."

-One at a time, though- Commander Pharamol interjected-. We still have the enemy at our doors and you must be tired from our long trip. I'll have someone accompany you to the guest quarters.

Tired? We had barely done anything today! I understood that Commander Pharamol was trying to politely dismiss us to resume their war meeting without stranger's ears. They knew all they wanted about us and they wouldn't reveal more.

-Thank you- Arthur replied with a soft nod that prompted a similar salute from the rest of the officers in the room.

Commander Pharamol stood up and headed to the door to instruct the warriors that were still outside, waiting for orders, to lead us to our chambers.

-They are our guests- he said-. Make sure that they get everything they need within reason.

-Yes, sir!- One of the soldiers replied, before addressing us- Come with me.

We followed the Triaxian man across the dark corridors and up to the surface. Now that we were not in a hurry, I noticed details I had missed at our arrival, like the fact that the surface level seemed to be empty, just a wall and a few towers. The whole fortress seemed to be subterranean, making it extremely defendable (and warm). There were no visible accesses that didn't imply flying up to the upper level and be greeted by Spurhorn's defenders. With teleportation magic off the charts, I had no idea what the options were for Yrax's army to seize the fortress. It seemed like we had the winning ground.

Crossing the courtyard, we were led to one of the inner towers, inside which there was a large room with very basic furniture, like a few beds, a couple chairs, and a table, everything made of stone. Wood seemed to be extremely rare, if not nonexistent, in Triaxus.

-For your own safety, you must stay here until you are called.- our guide warned us.

Looking around, I noticed the absolute absence of any sanitary installations.

-What if we need to… evacuate?- I asked.

The Triaxian soldier looked at me in bewilderment.

-You'll be warned when the attack starts.- He replied, not understanding my euphemism.

-I mean…- I explained myself- If we need to use the toilet.-

Humans and civilized elves usually had toilets, so I supposed Triaxian people also did. Our guide seemed still a bit confused, though.

-Can't you wait for a day or two?- He asked.

-We need to go a few times a day.- I said, assuming that it was somewhat different for the people of Triaxus. Judging for the soldier's scandalized look, I was right.

-Alright. I'll see what I can do- he replied-. Do you also need to eat more often or…?

More often? How often did Triaxian people eat then? I couldn't say I wasn't curious, but thought it might be impertinent to ask.

-We have brought our own food, thanks.- Arthur replied politely, most likely concerned about the edibility of Triaxian food.

The soldier nodded.

-I will be back in a moment.- He said, leaving.

We closed the door, wondering what he was going to do. Most likely ask for permission for us to use the toilets, I thought, but I was wrong. Before we had time to check out the whole room and choose which bed was whom's, he was knocking on the door. When we opened, we saw him holding a battered metal bucket. The stares in my friends' eyes went from skeptic to horrified.

-I am not using that.- Argentea protested vehemently.

I understood her reluctance, but I didn't want to question our hosts' hospitality. I looked at Arthur for help, but he seemed just as shocked as I was.

-Uh… Could you bring us a second one?- I finally asked in embarrassment.

The man gave me an incredulous stare. He must believe I was teasing him.

-Sure.- He replied nonetheless and he left.

When he returned, we were in the middle of a discussion of the suitability of buckets as toilets. Nadya and I thought that it wasn't such a bad idea, and even suggested a rather private corner for them. On the other hand, Argentea seemed to consider them an offense and didn't hesitate to describe the situation as humiliating. Arthur, as often, represented the middle ground. Though he wasn't happy, he advocated for being understanding with our hosts. He was quick to thank the soldier when he brought us the second bucket and also managed to soothe down Argentea's attitude, even though the best he got out of her was a "do what you wish, but I refuse using that thing". And, to be fair, she remained true to her words. It was a long, boring day and by the end of it, one of the buckets was already full to the top. We kept them on the farthest corner of the room but still, I started to worry that someone would trip and spill the content all over the room. Arthur and Argentea deliberately avoided looking at them, and Nadya didn't seem to care, but my idle mind couldn't help but think that something was wrong about the full bucket. Someone would wake up half asleep in the middle of the night and spill it. I knew it.

-We need to pour part of the content of the full bucket into the empty one.- I said, breaking the silence. Everyone looked at me as if I had gone insane.

-Why?- Nadya asked with a curious smile.

-It's too full- I explained-. I am afraid it spills.

-Leave it as it is.- Argentea warned me grumpily. "No more conversations about buckets, please." She seemed to be saying.

-You have a point- Arthur lifted his eyes from his spellbook to agree with me-. Just be careful with it.

I frowned as I imagined myself trying to manipulate the bucket and accidentally pouring part of the content over me. So disgusting. No, I'd better use a safer method. If I couldn't use my magic to avoid getting soaked in pee, what was my magic worth for? Under the attentive stares of my intrigued friends, I cast a spell to call an invisible and mindless helper to perform the task for me. Arthur nodded approvingly, recognizing the spell.

-What are you doing?- Nadya inquired again, amused.

I  didn't reply. I had to admit I enjoyed their anticipation. I just ordered my invisible creature to pour half the content of the bucket into the other one. It was a simple command. What could possibly go wrong? The bucket started trembling as the invisible creature tried to lift it. The bucket floated up slowly, trembling, and, as it reached the appropriate level… it fell down noisily to the ground, violently spilling its content on the floor, chairs, and furniture. I let a shocked cry out. How had it happened? Nadya started laughing out loud, breaking the silence that ensued my cry. Arthur and Argentea remained silent, the first one in shock, the latter in anger, while the owls had just woken up with the noise and didn't know what was going on.

-Clean it up!- I yelled at the invisible creature in frustration, even knowing that it was nothing more than an extension of my own will and my anger meant nothing to it- Quick!

Nothing happened. I pulled out a few pieces of cloth from my bag and threw them in the invisible force's direction, yelling at it again to clean up the place. My anger, though, only hid my embarrassment.

-At least we still have the Unseen Servant to clean this mess…- Arthur observed, trying to see the bright side of a frustratingly ridiculous situation.

-Unseen servant?- I protested- More like a useless servant!

Argentea rolled her eyes.

-I told you the buckets were not a good idea.- She said, as if the inanimate objects were the ones to blame, not me.

-Should we help cleaning?- Nadya asked, already recovered from her sudden burst of nervous laughter.

I shook my head.

-Let it clean its own mess.

A noxious smell was invading the room, impossible not to notice even from the farthest corners, and the Useless Servant wasn't especially fast at its job. It took it quite a long while to finish and, even after the disaster was cleaned, the smell remained. I tried spreading some of the fragrances I had "borrowed" from Nazhena's castle and that remained forgotten at the bottom of my backpack, but I only got a stronger yet not much more pleasant scent. Finally, Arthur and Argentea convinced me to stop trying to fix it, because I only kept making it worse, and we went to bed. I fell asleep with Argentea by my side, her face sunken on the curve of my neck because, according to her own words, I "must be the only thing in the whole room that doesn't smell like a tavern's back alley". Before I closed my eyes, I couldn't avoid thinking for a while about the embarrassment that we would face when we had to explain the foul smell and the damp floor to our Triaxian hosts. Hopefully, it would be nice and dry the next day. Hopefully.

This is my Pathfinder/Dragonlance novelization of Paizo's Adventure Path Reign of Winter.
Any feedback or comments will be very appreciated!
I'll try to keep updating the story quite often!

Thanks TindomielSilverthorn for your help editing!

READ THE PREVIOUS CHAPTERS HERE:
Reign of Winter CHAPTER 1
Reign of Winter CHAPTER 89

NEXT ONE:
Reign of Winter CHAPTER 91
© 2020 - 2024 LeilaAscariz
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jonwassing's avatar
WELCOME BACK! A good bit of world-building and setup here, everyone's reactions to the buckets felt very organic and natural. The Triaxians here also pleased me, as usually (especially in RPGs) characters at war always act with suspicion and never ever trust anyone who arrives right before the battle. Whereas I think it would be more likely for someone to be suspicious a first, but then accept the help in their darkest hour. I know there's got to be conflict for stories, but no one is going to turn away aid like that. 
The buckets took a long time to talk about, which is quite aa lot of words to dedicate to a poop joke, but it did make for some good levity. 
Nice Chapter, it's really good to see you back again! :D