Penn - 22

## The Father

I’ve somehow managed to convince the Vanguard to venture into the depths below to meet with an unfathomably powerful blood mage. How I managed this, I’m still not sure. They sent myself, Joryn, Kaelib, Kaelib’s dog, and some mage.

We were guided through a maze, into a familiar chamber, filled to the brim with members of the Eternal Night. They were chanting. Praying. At the end of the chamber sat the figure whose voice I knew well. He introduced himself to the others as, The Father.

The group began their negotiation, and, I’ll be honest, the conversation bored me. My thoughts began to wander. I began thinking about what I would do once I’ve broken free from my situation; from the Vanguard and the Eternal Night.

What I heard next though, I wasn’t expecting. Laughter. It filled the room. Members of the Eternal Night could hardly contain themselves.

I glanced around; Joryn, Mercenary, Mage, Kaeli- Where’d Kaelib go? I followed the mercenary’s gaze upward... Oh, there’s Kaelib. Floating in the air..! He was spinning, twirling uncomfortably. My shocked, gaping smile shot toward the Father, who looked exceptionally pleased with himself.

Round and round Kaelib went. He looked as though he might lose his lunch. Even his mercenary looked like he was holding back chunks from the sight of his employer spinning. I laughed heartily and audibly, joining the rest of the Eternal Night.

The mercenary jumped up and down, trying to reach his employer; like a dog jumping for scraps held just out of reach. I'm surprised his leash didn't get tangled as his master spun.

Unfortunately, the show couldn’t last. The Father eventually released Kaelib and continued negotiations.

The laughter died down, and I wiped away tears, but, I noticed, Joryn showed no concern for his friend. Nor did he seem phased by the Father’s display of power. Everyone else, even their mage friend had reacted to the situation...

The Vanguard and the Father continued discussing the details of their alliance. They droned on and on. The Father agreed to march an army of the undead, ensuring the Vanguard’s victory, and in return, the Vanguard would retrieve an artifact for him.

The Vanguard were cautious though. Particularly Joryn. Were I in their shoes, I’d have already accepted the alliance, but, they continued their line of questioning.

“What are your intentions with this artifact?,” Joryn asked. He expressed concern about replacing one enemy with a new, more powerful one.

The Father explained, he was not their enemy, and that the artifact was of no concern to them. He said they had a common enemy, the Lyth. He had even proved it. He brought out a Lyth.

This creature was escorted into view, crawling on all fours. He reminded me of the beggars in Xolmeth; thin limbs, sunken-in face, and a sickly complexion. But that didn’t last.

The Father then told his pet, “Precious,” to remove his guise. “Guise?,” I thought for a moment before the man’s skin began to bubble and change.

He transformed... into a large ant-like creature. Its fingers grew long and his eyes blistered and popped, eventually taking the shape of a fly’s. Its skin eventually hardened, and resembled the trunk of a tree.

“Huh,” I thought. I don’t think I was the only one fascinated by this creature. The line of questioning from the Vanguard were now in the direction of Precious.

They asked him his age, and, he waited for permission from his master. With a nod from the Father, he responded. He told us that he had seen no less than ten centuries.

“Is that young or old for the Lyth?,” Joryn asked.
Precious again waited for permission. When he answered, he told us that, he didn’t know. Apparently the Lyth, or, whatever this creature is, don’t know how long they can expect to live.

The Father explained the usefulness of his Lyth pet. He extracts information on the Lyth from it. They can communicate telepathically, and Precious can hear their plans.

I wondered if it was similar to the communication I’ve experienced with the Father. Would it be possible for me to communicate with other members of the Eternal Night as the Lyth do?

The negotiation continued until Joryn said that he would need to speak with Vargath and the other members of the Vanguard before making a decision. “Finally!,” I thought. I prepared to escort the Vanguard out, trying to recall which way we took through the maze.

But instead of leaving, Joryn concentrated for a moment, and promptly accepted the deal. He said that Vargath and the others have agreed to the alliance. Can he communicate telepathically as well?! How common is this ability? Is it something I can learn to control? Is this how Kaelib is able to read me so easily? Can they hear my thoughts as easily as the Father can? I need to learn more.

As these thoughts raced through my head, I heard my name. The Father volunteered me as an emissary to travel with the Vanguard into the mage city. Great.

## Diplomacy

We arrived at the mage city with our army of the undead. Before we could make our way in, we were stopped by a soldier. He questioned our banners, and our army of the undead. Vargath was able to get us in though.

I went with the diplomatic party. Along with Kaelib, Vargath, and the mercenary. We were escorted to a tower. Everything in this city was automated. Everything was in motion. Eventually, we were led to a platform. Each of us stepped on, and, we stopped walking. I must have looked ridiculous, I was confused. Why were we stopping?

Then, the ground trembled, and lifted. The floor lifted from the stone below, taking us with it. It was amazing. I looked out over the city as we ascended. I was enjoying the view until... A splash, and heat, like a warm stew being dumped at my heels. I turned and the Mercenary was hunched over fallen ill. He was a vomit fountain. Disgusting. Perhaps he has trouble with heights, or the quick ascent. Maybe a way to keep him removed from conflict should the need arise?

As our ascent slowed, we stepped from the stone floor onto the tower. Kaelib’s mercenary crawled off, nearly collapsing once we were inside. I had to stifle my chuckle. Vargath led us into a chamber where Elric stood waiting.

Then, the negotiations began.