Apostles of Doom

Hilda shook her head, indicating it was no big deal. “I’ve had a few run-ins with the Beggars Guild; I healed a number of them against their will when they wouldn’t stop bugging me. So now the guild master is convinced that Iskerus has a rogue priestess and is marching out there every day to see what he’s doing about finding her — meaning me.”

“From the way you described it, I am assuming you used healing combat on them?” Stevos asked with a grin.

“Not on the first one, just the small group that accosted and threatened me if I didn’t un-heal the first one,” Hilda said.

“They are really starting to get annoying though,” Danyel said. “We see them lurking around the city, spying on us when we are out.”

“Do they know where you are living?” Stevos asked.

“I don’t think so; I’ve chanted up a storm of misdirection rituals around the inn that are targeted towards people with nefarious intent,” Hilda said.

“Currently, the inn and tavern here are rated the safest in the city.” Danyel grinned.

Hilda nodded and said, “I’ve also given Danyel an amulet to chant over to make himself unnoticeable whenever needed, particularly when coming and going from the inn. I am doing my own chants as I enter and leave. However, about the city, I let them see me. I have no problem with healing a few more. I just don’t want them bothering Danyel.”

Danyel shrugged. “I am a soldier, and I am armed. Beggars aren’t stupid.”

“Still, you need to be careful. If they gang up enough, that could be a problem,” Hilda told him.

“Well, with all your recent practice with unnoticing and misdirection, you should have no problem getting into the Rod’s camp and liberating War Arrow,” Stevos said with a grin.

“Okay, so tell me this. Assuming I get him out of the camp, how do I get him to Fort Murgatroid?” Hilda asked. “I can’t just take him through Tierhallon.”

“We have a bunch of Saintly Gates at Fort Murgatroid,” Stevos replied. We’ll just create an endpoint somewhere nearby.”

“Oh, and all those priests out there”—she gestured to the surrounding army—“won’t notice that?”

“We won’t keep it open that long. Simply long enough to get War Arrow through.”

“Ugh,” Hilda sighed. “You do realize there is a lot that could go wrong with this, yes?”

Stevos shrugged with a smile. “I am pretty sure the illustrious Saint Hilda, Patron Saint of Espionage, can handle it.”

“You are so very not funny,” Hilda said.

Etterdam, Nart Command Tent: Fifth Period

“This is not going to be pleasant,” Ragala-nargoloth remarked, looking over the map they were using to chart their mission to the Etterdam Doomalogue.

“For the alvar, you mean?” Nisvel Crooked Stick, Leftenant of the 8^th Regiment of Doom clarified.

Ragala-nargoloth looked at him, surprised that there could be any confusion. “Obviously. That volcano, those mountains belongs to Lord Tommus. The alvar may currently be occupying the area around it, thanks to their treachery four thousand years ago, but it is his property. It is well past time that we reclaim it for Lord Tommus.” She stuck her cigar back in her mouth.

Chief Hellfiroth Bowel Slicer snorted. “We have not had the aerial capability to get our forces over the Strait of Death before.”

“That has changed,” Ragala-nargoloth said to the assembled leaders. She looked to Nisvel. “Given that we are going into hostile territory, I think we should requisition additional forces.”

Nisvel, her D’Orc commander, nodded. “I agree. I will request them from Arg-nargoloth.”

“If I happen to run into him, I will second the request,” Ragala-nargoloth said. One of her apprentices, Teg Death Screech, snickered when she said this. She cut him off with sharp glance. Teg, like most of her apprentices, had a very prurient mind. Although, to be fair to the boy, they’d both had the same lewd thought.

The Inferno: Late Third Period

Gadius turned from staring out the main viewport on the bridge as Barabus and Temerlain came through the hatchway leading to the cargo deck where the searching rituals were being performed. Sir Samwell and Chancellor Alighieri, who had been engaged in some obscure debate of Oorstemothian constitutional principles, also turned. Captain Cranshall rotated his command chair to face the two new arrivals.

Barabus was shaking his head “no” in response to the unasked question.

“No sign of Talarius here either,” Temerlain told them.

Sir Samwell appeared to do a double take, clearly surprised at their lack of success. “Are you absolutely sure? I would have wagered anything that your knight would be there.” He pointed out the view screen to an active volcano, surrounded by storm clouds, in the distance.

“Yes, we are well aware of that. You’ve made your point several times,” Barabus replied. “However, we are not detecting him here, no more than in the last six areas we’ve checked.”