THREE HUNDRED TWENTY FIVE
(I/C)
Kovid turned away from the door and addressed Candella directly. “When the doors locked, these stone walls no longer seem... right.” He pointed behind him, “I don’t trust magic and I don’t like tricks.”
“Goodson Manslayer,” she said with a gentle smile. “Let me assure you first off, that there is no trick here. Neither being played upon you or at your expense.”
“Then Goblin Matron, what is this exactly?” he asked.
“It is very simple. I am the Matron here, charged by the Ispan himself to provide a service. Now in my time, I might be less than what I once was, but by the four goddesses, I can and will do my charge and job.” Her voice remained soothing and her tone light, but there was a gravity to her words, a strength in her aged and maimed form. “So while the baths are being used, it is expected that the patrons of such should expect a modicum of privacy. And for that, I can give it to them for the period that they are bathing. And since I am the Matron, I can do and make sure all in my power allows that to happen.” She smiled. “So please, rest your worries easy, Goodson, and know that for the now at least, your group can bathe and be unmolested at his time.”
A few moments of silence passed before Wyn grabbed the trailing ends of his long hair and wrung it dry in the water. “Ok, Wyn feels better now.” Candella had taken a towel out and held it open for the elf to step into. “Merci, Matron,” he said.
“Any time, Sieger,” she said, wrapping the free end behind him.
He toweled the last of the water off of his legs and the Matron took the soiled towel from him. He then bent and proceeded to get dressed quickly and efficiently. “Anyway, Wyn will stand watch in case anyone else wants a bath. We got about... 41? Minutes left? Oui. Give or take. So de odder 4 of ye could wash if ye wanted.” He glanced around and shrugged. “Some need it more den odders.”
“I dunno,” Lyra muttered, “Waiting to see if anyone else maybe melts?”
Lannis took off his hat and turned to wink at the rest of the group. “Welp…Might as well try if I've got the time, good thing I'm already blind!”
“So glad you are looking to partake, Magister Lannis.”
The Magic User had dropped his backpack and unlaced his belt, letting it fall with all his myriad pouches and dangling items hanging from it. A quick work of the knot had the ends of his faded pink robes work their way free and then open. The Matron had used the blue gem to make the water disappear again and she looked back at the wizard, one eyebrow raised in question. “Candella, is bracing cold an option?”
“If that’s what you’d wish,” she said with a smile. The yellow gem was taken from the stand and then lowered to the surface of the bath, where it filled quickly. She held it there a bit longer until the group could no longer feel any heat coming from the water’s surface. “It’s ready for you.”
“Great, great, great!” He was working his boots off, fingers picking at the buckles.
The elf looked over at the dwarf and Abraxas, the two of them walking the room and checking the walls, the dwarf seemingly still untrusting of the situation. Adressing the rest of the party, Wyn said, “ We need to wait fer Lannis’ sight ta return, so I will keep an ear open at de west door ova here fer any wanderers about... unless ye have a way to know what he going on elsewhere in de castle, Madame?”
“People wander around the Castle all the time, Sieger,” she said with a shrug. “I could not tell you what is going on elsewhere could I? That would be a dereliction of my duty here to provide a private a safe place to bathe and make oneself clean without worry or concern for whatever might be going on beyond the doors. In this matter, there is little I can tell you. I hope you understand.”
“Oh,” the elf frowned, eyes unfocused a bit. “Wasn’t sure how ye knew bout de Butcha’s feelin’s fer Abraxas, since dat only just happened and she said she would not talk to anyone else in de castle before leavin.”
“I am unsure what you are alluding to, Master Wyn.” She smiled broadly. “I haven’t left this chamber…and I never said anything about Shy’shisheer or any alleged time she might have spent in private with Honrado Salazar. That would be…tacky, yes?”
“Of course...,” he paused while getting dressed, eyes unfocused a bit, “hm... oui... dat may have just been some flavor text...” He shook his head to clear it and then resumed getting dressed.
Lannis finally dropped off his last boot and stood by the edge of the water, his pale skin reflecting coolly in the candlelight. He took the offered washcloth and soap and stepped in the tub slowly, hissing after each step as his body was assaulted by the cool water. “Oh..Ooo. That part is always tough,” he said as the water went past his midriff. Finally he braced himself and dunked himself low, letting the water wash briefly over his body before standing up straight and gasping. “Ah! Ahhh! That IS refreshing!”
“So happy you are pleased, Magister Lannis.”
“You have no idea.” He proceeded to scrub his arms and chest vigorously. Looking around with his eyes still blinded, he continued, “So..Did you volunteer for this job or were you scouted?”
“I volunteered for this job and others that Halgafar had asked of me. It was always my intention to serve the Ispan and I did so willingly and with good cheer.”
“Good, good,” Lannis ducked down and let the soap run off his chest, only to lather up and do it a second time.,
Abraxas was still walking around, eyes wide and senses alert. "Como es everyone feeling?” Most of the rest of the group gave positive sounding grunts and noises. The Fighter let out a shaking breath. “Este es una... 'strange place' indeed. Señora Candles, antes you were a maiden de baño, donde did you come from? Donde did you grow up?”
“Yeah,” Lannis asked, “Do you miss your old home?”
“Honrado Salazar, I have been here for a long stretch of years,” she smiled gently. “My past is a shadowy place that I can only dimly remember. But I can assure that I was born here in the Dawnlands and the city of Acreage has always been my home. So to answer your questions, Magister Lannis, I can’t miss my old home because I’ve never left it.” Her smile faded. “Although it has not been the same since that terrible night. And I can scarcely recognize it since the usurper and his minions came to despoil the Castle.”
Brendon was sipping some of his wine from his skin while he combed out his short hair. “Lady Candella, you spoke of how Corfard and his crew are disrespecting your home.”
“That is true, Pirateson. And?” she asked.
“Is it possible for you to tell us where we can find the Duchess right now,” he paused thinking before continuing, “or an area that we could use to our advantage to rid the evils from your home?”
“How would I know that, young one?” she replied questioningly. “I am not privy to the comings and goings of those who wander unchecked and wanted in these halls. My duties as Matron are defined and as long I do not deviate from them, there is little recourse that can be used to further bring harm or atrocities against me.”
“Nothing?” the Scout asked.
“There is little if anything I could say, such is the pity.” She frowned. “Although I can say, that it is common knowledge and known the worm was at first angered that his crystal had been deactivated but then was overjoyed to learn that the rainbow ward fell in its entirety; since that was his ultimate goal.” She wandered over to the laundry bin and dropped the soiled towel and washcloth from Wyn within. “With the ward down, he has grown emboldened and is looking to solidify his presence here in the Castle but implanting more troops and support staff.”
“Ah…shit,” Brendon cursed, the rest of the group groaning in agreement.
“Yes. Dispatches were already sent, runners were ordered to get supporters to come and bolster the Castle’s defenses.”
“Fuck.” Kovid frowned. “How soon?”
“Who knows?” she answered. “But within a day. By tomorrow would be my guess, another hundred fold of troops loyal to the dragon will arrive.”
“What the hell are we supposed to do?” the dwarf sighed. “They have resources and reinforcements. And we have just us.”
The Goblin Matron shrugged. “There are two choices I would think. Either one, dispatch Corfard and eject him from the Castle.” She looked over at Lannis. “Or two. Somehow, re-erect the Rainbow Ward.” She snapped her fingers. “Of course, it would have to be done correctly and not diminish or remove the influence of one of the four goddesses of course.” Her smile broadened. “But someone would have to have access to the will of the goddesses, would have to have the Crystal in question, would have to have it recharge in its case to be reignited, and would need one of the Fae race on hand to give veracity to such a ritual. Not being the Ispan, the Ward would only last a few weeks tops, but it would be enough I would imagine for a group to finish whatever mission they need here during that time. Of course, the worm trusted the only key he had been able to find to the Throne room to his Master Spy and his Chief Cleric. So you would need to have one of those..or perhaps both of those..keys to make such an audacious plan possibly work.” The party was looking at her with open mouthed awe. “Again, that is just one old goblin’s opinion. I regret that I have no authority nor any other standing to advise someone on what to do.”
She turned to Wyn, her voice still calm but a strength and cadence behind it, and asked, “Is there anything that you regret, Sieger?”
Wyn shook his head a moment and frowned. “Well, I guess dat if I was to say I regretted anyting, it would by dat I be sorry iffin I make too many suggestions fer de party's actions. Dere be times when Wyn gets too wrapped up in tryin to deal wit a problem and just wants us all to try and solve tings together to de best of our own abilities. I know it may come across as "too much" sometimes.”
“Really?” Lannis asked with a hopeful smile.
Wyn frowned, rubbing his chin. “Nah. But I would imagine dat would be wot you would want me to say. I not really regret dat I do dat, except dat it makes you feel less good. Wot I DO reget dough is I damned sorry dat I let de Duchess get away... she gonna be difficult to deal wit, en dere was probably some odder way to deal wit her... but dere was too much goin on fer me to come up with anytin besides shutting de door en keeping her in de room. Never expected her to have such unique potions at her disposal.
“Ah…” Lannis chuckled, rinsing the last of the soap from his body. “That’s more like you.” He stepped up, hands out, body covered in goosebumps, and let the Matron wrap the towel around him. “Thank you, Candella.”
“Happy to help, Magister.” She looked over the rest of the party. “Would anyone else like a bath? If so, I can keep the doors locked for a bit longer.”
“Ooo,” Wyn snapped his fingers, “Dat reminds me. Matron, iffin something comes by, cen we rush in here to hold up and ye cen lock de door fer us?”
She shook her head sadly. “In that matter the answer is no. This is a bath and open to the people of the Castle. I might find some of them unpleasant, but you cannot, neither can anyone else, hole up in here and lock the door unless you are partaking in a bath. And even then, it is only for the time of the bath and not a minute longer.” She smiled, “The fact that you are doing it for as long as you have, is merely the function of each of you bathing one at a time. But each bather I can only give a quarter turn of the hourglass to keep the doors locked. And no longer. So no, this is not a bolthole to hide in. And you also must realize, that others might be using the Bath and my time as well when you are looking to enter.” Her grin grew. “Although it is safe to say that Catharandamus and his followers will not be partaking of my services so that should open up my calendar a bit.”
“Alright,” Lyra said, stepping up. “I’d like to go next.”
“Terrific, Summer’s Child. Please, step up and disrobe.”
Lyra gave the rest of the group and fierce stare, locking eyes with each one until they grew uncomfortable and turned away. Once that was done, the Cleric unstrapped the ties of her leather armor and began to get undressed. “Hot please,” she asked.
“Gladly,” the Matron said, using the two gems to banish the water from the bath and then fill it again with the red gem until it began to steam.
Lannis rubbed the towel against his hair, wobbling his head back and forth as he did so. “Besides Cathar..whatever, Dead Adept guy, who else comes through here, and are they kind to you?"
“Many others pass through the baths, Magister Lannis. And they are people like others. Some are kind, some are not. Most are indifferent. I can say that the goblins who have come make it their business to bring me extra food and rations to eat and partake so I don’t have to leave these chambers and risk befalling any more…unpleasantries. The way I had been treated did make them…uncomfortable.”
Lyra had finished getting undressed and holding her shift closed long enough to get her legs in the water, she let it fall off the side of the bath and sunk herself under the water. “Sweet Aine!” she swore. “It has been a LONG time since I felt this good.” She dipped her head back and let her hair grow thick with water. “I almost forgot what it felt like to be clean.”
“I am pleased you are pleased, Summer’s Child,” the Matron said. “Your happiness brings me contentedness.” She blew out a few of the candles, allowing the pool to be bathed in darkness, giving Lyra a bit more privacy.
“Oh, thank you so much,” the Cleric grinned.
“Happy to help.” She looked over at Lannis, her voice again taking on some weight, some gravitas as she asked, “Magister Lannis, what is it that you feel would make others happy to hear you say?”
The Magic User paused and seemed to have the answer pulled from him. “Me? Um, honestly? I would hope that it would make others happy to know that I am really really sorry about the way I speak to you.” He shrugged a bit embarrassed. “It started out as a joke and then just kept going. I use sarcasm as a foil to keep others away from me, fearing to be hurt and I project that hurt on others instead. It’s a terrible cycle and I’m not proud of it.” He looked over at Lyra, “But I know that my words hurt and I regret that I hurt you the most, Lyra.”
She opened and closed her mouth in surprise. “Wow. Um,, thanks Lannis. That means a lot.”
He shrugged. “You’re welcome. I probably won’t stop, but at least you know that I don’t mean any of it and never did in the first place.” He turned away and walked up to the rest of the party who was looking the wizard over. “What?”
“Nothing, Big Brain,” Kovid said warmly. “Glad you’re with us.”
“Me too.” He smiled. “Hairy drunk.”
The rest of the group had reconvened a dozen paces away from the pool, neither Abraxas nor Kovid finding anything else about the chamber that hadn’t been discovered already. “Señor Wynsilnik, is este una tiempo para 'Detects Majiks'?"
“I don’t know,” Wyn frowned. “But if de Matron is right, de winged lizard is gonna have some more troops here on de morrow.”
“So we have to kill him before the night is done,” Kovid bristled his beard. “Or…re-establish the rainbow ward? Thor’s Balls, what a clusterfuck.” He looked over at the group. “Could we do it? Should we do it?” He looked at the Matron watching Lyra work her way through her bath and coming to the end of it. “And do we trust her? IS she a seer? A witch? Or just the woman who runs the baths?” He frowned. “What are we gonna do?”
Time now is Day 8, 9:40 AM
12 minutes left on Lannis’ Blinding. If you want Lannis to have his sight back, 1 more person is going to need to take a bath. Which means there is time for about 4 more questions to be asked of the Matron. I hope that some of you have been able to follow her clues and dropped hints on who she might be and her place here. Besides the Matron of the baths of course. And you have two possible options she laid out? That’s up to you guys. This was a double turn to account for Lannis and Lyra’s bath. You guys go.
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