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The Plight of Strolin Chapter 3
Prince Thrin was dressed in one of his formal outfits, but he still was not prepared for the banquet. He was pacing up and down the floor of his study.
He wasn't quite sure what he should do about the latest developments. An hour earlier, he had received messages from two other races. The elves that live in the forest had sent him a message from their king, stating that an emissary would arrive at some point today, and that the dwarves were sending a messenger as well. As soon as he had finished reading the first message, his page had brought another to his study. The message was from the dwarves, and also stated someone would be arriving today.
The dwarves and elves had not been seen in Rolenda in over 70 years. There had been an occasional sighting, but only on the outskirts. For over 1000 years, the elves, dwarves, and the Kingdom of Rolenda had been living in peace. The elves lived in the Endless Woodlands, which was to the far south of the Kingdom, and the dwarves lived in the Stone Hills to the east. The three races had supplied each other with knowledge and goods for the betterment of all.
73 years ago, a large army had waged war against the Kingdom, the dwarves, and the elves. The army had consisted of trolls, goblins, orcs, and wolffen. Normally, these races would have tried to kill each other, but under the leadership of Kathos. Kathos was a powerful sorcerer, drawing his powers from his master Skentrak.
Skentrak had once been the most powerful force of magic in the world. When he tried to use his powers to take control of Strolin, he was defeated by the combined power of the races. They managed to destroy his body, but his soul escaped, and remained hidden for over 3000 years. When magic had begun to fade, and the races lost most of their power, Skentrak resurfaced, and pushed to take control again. This happened 74 years ago.
Kathos had been a famous soldier. He was famous for his strength, his beauty, and his speed. When he started to age, he prayed for a way to remain youthful forever. Skentrak promised him to preserve his body, if he would name Skentrak as his master. When he made his unholy pact, Kathos became the most dreaded name for his race. Kathos was a drow-elf by birth. He was over 7 feet tall. Once his eyes had been green, but after making his deal, his eyes changed to a glowing red. His skin which was naturally dark, became as black as night, along with his hair. He grew to 8 feet, and gained the strength of 10 men.
Kathos gathered all of those who would listen to him, and soon had an enormous force at his command. When he had gathered his army, they began their trek from the far north. By the time they had left the Waste Lands, their force had almost doubled in size. The humans and dwarves had each tried to stop them, but to no avail.
For the good of the world, the three strongest races joined forces, and with their combined might, managed to push Kathos back to the north. When the threat had disappeared, the three races had each gone their own way, and had not had any dealings with each other in the last 70 years.
Thrin had reviewed the past time and time again, and his uneasiness grew and grew. After such a long time, why would the races need to talk now? The other two races had each sent representatives, which were due to arrive on the same day that two strange mages, and a young thief had come to his palace. All of these events, on the same day, added up to a very nervous Prince Thrin.
A knock came at the door. "Enter." A young page entered. "Highness, your guests have been summoned, and everyone has gathered for the meal. They await your entrance." The page held the door open for Thrin, and shortly after Thrin was standing before his dinner guests. "Good evening. I'd like to introduce the mages Piffin and Griffin, and Scott the young savior of my niece. They do this court honor by being here, and we thank them for coming. Now, let's enjoy the evening."
At this particular night's meal, it was only the honored guests, and the family of Prince Thrin. At the head of the table, was the prince, and to his right was his wife the queen. To his left was his son Wil. Normally his youngest son Trent would have been sitting next to Wil, but Trent was happy to have Scott between the two of them. Sitting beside Trent was Piffin. To the queen's right, her brother, and his daughter Shannon were seated. And beside Shannon was Griffin.
Being this close to nobility, let alone Prince Thrin himself, Scott was very anxious. He followed Wil's table manners as best he could, and managed to get through the meal without making a fool of himself. When the meal was finally over, Scott took the time to look over the other guests. He had been watching Wil so closely that he hadn't had the chance before. When he looked over at Piffin. He took in his facial features, his clothing, and then his eyes were drawn to his belt buckle. He gasped and fell from his seat.
All eyes turn towards Scott, and he blushes from the attention. "Sorry your Highness. I just happened to look at Piffin's belt buckle. It reminded me of something I had seen in my dreams. Please forgive the disturbance." When he began his monologue, he had been staring at the ground, stuttering from his embarrassment. As he finished, he was gazing directly at the twin mages.
Thrin turned towards the elder of the mages. "May I see one of your buckles please?" Piffin nodded his head, removed his buckle, and handed it to the prince. "These buckles were made especially for my brother and me. The twin dragons of light and dark are our crests. Tell me Scott, what do you know of our symbols?" Scott has again become the center of attention. "In my dreams, two serpents, one light, and one dark approached me. The beasts changed into human form, and grabbed me. They showed me visions of death, and destruction. Then I wake up. I've been having these dreams for many days. Do you have any idea what they could mean?"
Wil was the first to respond. "I've also had dreams with your crest. Mine weren't as terrifying as Scott's, but I was still chased by twin dragons. Could there be a connection?" The two mages exchanged a look, all was silent. "Piffin, have you been sending these dreams to them?" "No, and since you ask, I assume you didn't either." "You are correct about this, do you suppose Krylous is responsible?" "I think that is the answer, are they the ones we are searching for?" "They are two of those we are searching for. If Master Krylous has given the dreams to these two, then soon others will also find us, and they too will have seen the dreams. We must find the others to complete our mission, but for now, let's get these two on our side."
The pause had only been seconds, for thoughts can travel faster then normal words. Piffin turned to look at Wil, then at Scott. "We think that we know what the dreams mean. Later tonight, we will reveal our suspicions to you." Wil turned his head slightly to the side. "Why must we wait to find out? Why can't you just tell us now?" Piffin shook his head from side to side. "We have a feeling that others will soon be here, and they too will need our answer. We will wait until all are here, then we will inform everyone at once." Scott and Wil looked disappointed, but they both knew that they'd get the answer later.
Thrin stood up, and informed those at the table that a group of minstrels would be entertaining them. He clapped his hands, and the performers walked in, took their places, and began the show.
The show lasted for a couple hours. The minstrels played many different songs, but most were of an upbeat fashion. When the musicians had played their last song, they bowed, and sent the youngest around to collect the coins thrown at them. After another bow, the room was empty except for the royal family, and their honored guests. Piffin and Griffin stood. All eyes turned towards the twins. It was Griffin who spoke this time. "The ones we have been waiting for have arrived. If you wish to greet them before they bang on the gate, we must go now."
Thrin glanced at the mages, and rose to his feet. "I would be honored if all of you accompanied me to greet our guests. Please, let us give them a welcome in a stylish manor." The dinner party filed out of the dinning room, marched purposely down the various corridors, and finally reached the gate. And there was a sight that hadn't been seen in so many years.
Approaching down the main street of Dugron were the representatives of the elven and dwarven empires. The tall, fair skinned elves, and the dwarves were short, stout, and sun darkened. The dwarves marched in rhythm. The elves were ridding their famous steeds.
The steeds of the elven kind resembled deer, but were far larger, and stronger. These animals were known as the Teirven. They have a rich golden color of their fur. Their heads were ornamented with three horns each. The horns on the side were shaped like those of a mountain ram. The third horn was centered in the middle of the creature's forehead. There is a myth in elven lore that tells of a mating between a unicorn and the genetic grandfather of the teirven. These animals could only be ridden by the elves, and only when one of the royal bloodline was present to ask the teirven to carry the burden.
When the respective lines reached the greeting party, the dwarves and elves halted their march. The dwarf that was in charge stepped forward, and bowed before Thrin. "Your Highness, I am Carzo, War leader for the Stone Hill dwarves. We bring our greetings from our Queen. I only wish it could be under happier circumstances."
The leader for the elves took his turn bowing, and then made his introduction. "I am Trylon, elder prince of the elves." He motioned to another elf. "This is my younger brother Falon. We bring greetings from our King, and also wish it could be for something less dire. We need to have council with you as soon as possible."
Thrin motioned for his stable men and boys to take care of the elven steeds, but Trylon raised his hand for a pause. "That will not be necessary, but we thank you for your generosity." He walked over to his mount, bowed before it, and made a few whispering noises to it. The teirven turned, and sped past the gates, and out of the city. "They will return from the forests when they are needed."
Thrin turned to his band of servants, which had gathered to see what the commotion was about. "Show Carzo and his men to the west half of the guest wing, and take Trylon and his men to the east half." Thrin turned to his guests. "I'm sorry that we are not prepared for your arrival. I only received your messages earlier today, and the entire staff of the castle managed to get the east and west sections of the guest wing cleaned up. If we had more warning, I would have ordered the second guest wing opened and cleaned. I apologize, but the quarters may be a bit cramped. I can probably have the second wing cleaned in a day, maybe two, but until then, it will be a bit crowded. Please, follow my staff to your rooms, and try and make yourselves comfortable. Seeing as it has already grown late, I will meet with you in council in the morning."
The two parties were led to their rooms, and the castle staff busied themselves in preparation for all of the food and supplies that would be needed for such a large group of guests.
The dwarves and elves were as cramped as Thrin had estimated, and except for their leaders, they were forced to bunk 4 in a room. Carzo shared his room with his second in command Fenta. Trylon and Falon also shared a room. Piffin and Griffin had earlier moved into a single room, to save space. Thrin turned his gaze towards Scott. "Since the elves and dwarves are already quartered, and the honored mages have decided to share a room, that leaves us with an open room for you."
Wil got a sly grin on his face. "Father, since Scott is new to the castle, and not adept in some of its workings, I think I'll share my room with him, and show him around." His father nodded, and Wil dragged Scott to their room.
Once they were alone, Scott attacked Wil with a barrage of questions. "Why are all of the people in those two parties so young? What were those things the elves were riding? Are there any dwarven females that fight? I saw a few elven females in their ranks, and I know we have mixed companies in our armies, but what about the dwarves? Why didn't the mages ever tell us about our dreams? Did I do all right with my table manners at the meal? Did I look stupid when I fell from my seat after seeing Piffin's buckle? Why aren't you saying anything? Answer me!"
Scott's questions had been blurted out at such a speed that Wil had to pause to separate one question from another. When he had finally deciphered all of his friend's quarries, he motioned for them to sit down before he continued.
"The dwarves are very unique. Like the elves, they are so long-lived that when they appear 20 to us, they could be anywhere from 20 to hundreds of years old. That's why you didn't see any old looking people. The reason you didn't see any dwarven females is sort of humorous to outsiders. Their females fight as well, and sometimes better then their males, but even the dwarves can't tell them apart."
Scott tried to make sense of the last statement, but failed. "But Wil, what do you mean even the dwarves can't tell them apart?" Wil took on the tone of a patient teacher with a slow student, but Scott didn't notice the change. "What I mean is that the males and females of the dwarves look so much alike, that even a dwarf can't be totally certain who is male and who is female. They also sound alike, so that's no help either. It's the greatest insult in their culture to ask someone if they are male or female. It's an on-going game that they play. When they find someone they fall in love with, they don't even know if their lover is male or female until they have sex."
Scott nearly burst a gut laughing so hard. "You mean that the dwarves are an entire race of bisexuals? That's preposterous!" Wil let out a silent sigh.
"No Scott, it's not preposterous, it's true. They fall in love with the person, not their gender. Of course there are times when couples will split up because their significant other isn't the sex that they had originally thought. But on a whole, the dwarves are the most open minded of the races. Now on to other things."
Will went on to teach Scott of the history of the teirven, and the history of the war that had been fought before the races went their own ways. "And as to your question about the mages, I don't know the answer. Perhaps they intend to tell us tomorrow in council, or perhaps it is something that they will not share to non- mages."
Scott's eyes widened. "Are we going to be part of the council between the kingdom, the elves, and the dwarves?" "Yes, my father wants me to learn how to rule, so I must be there, you are another honored guest, and it is expected that you should be there. Plus, your skills of stealth may come in handy. And when I say handy, I don't mean for you to steal the possessions of our other guests. Understand?"
Scott hit Wil in the arm, not to hard, but hard enough to make Wil wince. "I don't steal from good people. I thought you understood that I only steal from those that deserve it and worse. I know a thief with a sense of morals is rare, but you've found one. I don't like taking things from good, honest people, but some people do deserve it. And for those people, I get a sense of satisfaction knowing that I'm causing trouble for them."
Wil looked towards the floor. "I didn't mean any offense, I'm sorry. Anyway, what should we do now?" Wil looked back up at Scott. "It's pretty late, should we go ahead and get to bed?" Scott started to squirm a bit. "I don't normally sleep in anything, and didn't think to bring something to wear." Wil grinned and Scott stopped his squirming. "I don't sleep in anything other then my underclothes, and that's only on cold nights. Tonight is nice and warm, so I won't wear anything either. Alright by you?" Scott nodded his head, and they both began to get ready for sleep.
Scott had a think bush of black, curly hair. He had some hair on his arms and legs, but none on his chest. Wil on the other hand, was almost totally hairless. He had some very fine thin blonde hair surrounding his penis, but it was so light in color it was hard to see. Wil was developing well, because of his activities that he did for fun, and Scott was well muscled from having to pull himself all over roofs, and from his life as a thief.
After they had finished admiring each other's bodies, they climbed into Wil's large bed. Although there was plenty of room for the two boys, they ended up both in the middle very close to each other. Both of them were exhausted, so they were quickly asleep.
Scott had a wonderful nights sleep, and for the first time in weeks, there were no dragons in his dreams tonight. After a few normal average dreams, he had a very arousing one. He dreamed that he was lying in bed with Wil, and that they were exploring each other's bodies. Dream Scott felt something warm cover his cock, and assumed it was Dream Wil's hand. After a few dream moments, Dream Scott had his orgasm, and a minute later, Scott woke up.
Scott reached down to his penis, and found it wet. He assumed that he must have cum in his sleep when he had that wonderful dream. For some reason his cock was only wet, and not sticking to the sheets. Scott quickly relaxed and was once again asleep.
When Scott's breathing had gotten into the regular pattern of sleeping, Wil cleaned himself up. He had tried his hardest, but some of Scott's cum had managed to dribble out of his mouth and onto his chin. He couldn't believe that Scott could be such a sound sleeper, but it was to his good fortune. After he had finished his clean up, he was quickly back to sleep himself.
In the west half of the guest quarters, Carzo had taken the smallest of the rooms for himself, and his second. Although he could have chosen the largest of the rooms, and none of his soldiers would have said a word, Carzo was much more considerate of his fighters. He still had as much if not more room as the rest of his party.
He glanced over at his most trusted friend, and second in command. Fenta was about 4 feet and 7 inches tall, and was one of the tallest dwarves. Carzo himself was an inch taller then Fenta, and was taller then almost all of the other dwarves. Fenta had rusty red hair, with the typical cut of a dwarven beard. He had bright green eyes. Carzo had black hair and a black beard, and dark brown eyes. Both dwarves had the typical dark tan, and were well muscled.
Carzo had been attracted to Fenta for many years, but hadn't gotten around to making any moves. Because of their long lives, dwarves and elves never rushed into things, so Carzo was taking his time to get close to Fenta.
They talked about various things until late into the night, then they said their goodnights, and both went to bed.
In the east half of the guest quarters, Trylon had also taken the smallest of the rooms along with his brother Falon. Both brothers were tall and fair skinned, Trylon being 6 feet and 10 inches, and his younger brother being 3 « inches shorter then his older brother. Trylon had very light brown hair, and Falon had a blondish color. Trylon had piercing hazel eyes, and Falon had a dark green color in his eyes. Both princes looked skinny and weak, but they were far stronger then they appeared.
The room had two small beds that had been pressed together so the princes could share a bed. They had long ago found out that they were in love with each other. Their parents had taken a couple generations to get used to the idea, but now they were accepting of their sons' love for each other. The princes had a younger sister who would continue the royal bloodline.
Trylon and Falon were lying close together, and lightly cuddling. They were both exhausted from their long journey, so they decided to forgo any sexual acts tonight, and just get a good night's sleep. They were both soon asleep, and enjoying a very restful night.
The castle was sleeping except for the night watch of guards, and the staff that was still rushing to prepare for tomorrow's meals. Torches illuminated the hallways, and were set about every 20 paces. The entranceway to Wil's room was decorated with an ornate arch. The arch had been build of stone, and then engraved with the royal crests. In addition to the archway, there was a very short walk between the arch and the door. Because of the walk, and archway, if the door to Wil's room were opened only slightly, no light would show through from the hallway torches.
In those very shadows, was a small boy, crouching in the darkness. The boy slowly opened the door to Wil's room. He then crept inside, making sure to be extremely quiet. He had been in this room many times before, so he knew where to walk. What he wasn't expecting was to find Wil sleeping with another boy.
The boy smiled, he had hoped that Scott would be here. Wil seemed very happy around Scott, and that also made the boy happy. The boy loved his brother, and was happy that he had chosen such a fine looking friend. Trent had been sitting beside Scott at dinner, but he hadn't tried to talk to him. He wanted to see him naked, so he had quietly gotten into the room where he was supposed to be.
Not finding Scott their, Trent had decided he must be with his brother Wil. Trent pulled the sheet back very slowly. With the aid of the moonlight, and from years of running around playing in the dark, Trent could make out the shapes of their bodies fairly clearly. Wil and Scott were sleeping peacefully in the nude, and with their arms loosely draped over each other. Trent thought the entire scene was very cute, and with another quick peek, he replaced the cover, and quickly but quietly ran to his own room.
Once back in his own room, he was quickly naked, and comfortably in bed. He called a clear picture of his brother sleeping with the thief, and with a few quick pulls he had a powerful orgasm. Because he was only 10 years old, it was a dry one, but still very pleasurable to him. He pulled up his sheets, and then rolled into a comfortable ball. He let out a content sigh, and was promptly asleep.
The next morning was a clear, and bright day. The castle staff had spent the whole night working in shifts, and all was prepared for a very big day. Prince Thrin had ordered a large breakfast early in the morning, so that all of the members of the council would have plenty of energy. He had also ordered a midday feast, to honor the return of the elves and dwarves into the kingdom.
Prince Thrin, his wife, their two sons, Scott, the twin mages, the elven princes, and Carzo and his second, Fenta were present for breakfast. The meal was filling, with many rare dishes being served. Other then the expected compliments on the food, and the appearance of the meal, nothing else was said. Everyone knew that this meeting wasn't for fun, and everyone was wondering what would be said in the council.
Once the meal was finished, the table was cleared, and the servants dismissed. Although it was not usual for the queen and her youngest son to stay, they were asked to remain in this particular council. Thrin stood up. "I know that this meeting must be of something important because of all of you ending up here at one time. I do not know what this meeting is about, so I'd like to start by someone filling me in."
Prince Trylon rose as Thrin sat down. "My father's mystical adviser has told us that an evil is gathering in the north. We sent several small groups of scouts to discovery the identity of this evil. It seems that Skentrak and his servant Kathos are on the move again. We managed to sneak in a few spies, and we have discovered some very bad news."
Trylon picked up a small scroll that he had sitting on the table. "Kathos is gathering another large army, but this time it isn't just for fighting and dividing our races. Our informants tell us that this attack has to do with the stars. Skentrak was able to live as a spirit, and not pass with his body only because of the stars. He had found a stone in a meteorite crater that radiated in magical power. When his body was destroyed, he used the stone, and it drew its strength from a strange star alignment. Kathos recovered this stone, and it was the reason he became the carrier of destruction. In the last battle with Kathos, we managed to steel this stone, and without his talisman, Kathos lost support, and was forced to pull back."
Those gathered were all listening intently, but the one most interested, was Trent. When Trylon paused, Trent was the first to ask the questions on everyone's mind. "What happened to the stone? And if he doesn't have his talisman, then why is a new army forming?"
All eyes were once again on the prince of elves. "We gave the stone to our finest warriors, and they took it deep into the Sandtrap. You humans refer to the elven forest as the Endless Woodlands, but what you don't know, is that past our trees, there is an area of desert, that we have found no life in, and is sand, for as far as the eye can see. We have sent many expeditions, and those that return all tell of endless sands. On one of these expeditions, the company came upon a whirlpool in the sand. One of the elves had gotten caught in it, and they all ended up falling into it. They were sucked down into a gigantic underground cavern. This cave had a magical aura of protection, keeping it from being discovered, and magical spells keeping the whirlpool in place. The stone is now hidden deep in that cavern. For the answer to your other question, my brother will be the one to speak on that."
Falon rose, and picked up his own scroll. "The reason that Kathos is able to round up another army is all in the stars. In one month's time, the stars will move into the exact alignment that they were in when Skentrak lost his physical form. They will remain in that alignment for well over a year, so simple delaying Kathos is out of the question. If Skentrak can get a hold of the stone while the stars are in the correct alignment, he will be able to take on any physical form he wants. We don't know how to stop him, and only have one clue. Our seer was given a vision that simply told him that we must come here, and that is all we can do for now."
It was now the dwarves turn to speak. Carzo stood up. "We had received reports of the army, and sent our own scouts. We were not able to get as much information as the elves, because anyone can spot a dwarf. We sought advice from our soothsayer, and he told us we must come here. We met the elven party along the way, and we marched and camped together on our journey. And now we are all here, and are still seeking advice."
Piffin and Griffin stood up. Piffin nodded to his brother, and began to speak. "We would like to ask a quick question. Will everyone who has received dreams involving something like these symbols please raise your hand?" The two mages removed their buckles, and passed them around the table. When they had gone all the way around, the snapped them back into place, and looked at those who had raised their hands. Everyone at the table except for Trent, Thrin, and Aretha had their hand in the air.
Griffin informed the council that the symbol stood for the twins, and their separate arts. Then he moved on to tell them about the dreams most likely coming from their master Krylous. "Our master must have foreseen that you would be needed for our cause, and with the help of his dreams, he has chosen our force. There is one thing about the stone that Trylon and Falon were telling us about that they don't know."
Piffin took over from his brother. "During the last battle with Kathos, when his rock was taken, some of the warriors tried to destroy it. They tried everything they could think of, but nothing seemed to work. They brought it to Krylous, and asked him if there was a way to destroy it. He experimented on it for weeks, and came back with his answer. The stone cannot be destroyed, but there was a way to separate a section of the stone from the main body. Since Skentrak used the stone's power when it was whole, he must recover both the main part of the stone, and the shard. They are hidden in different locations, and as long as they are kept apart, Skentrak will not win."
Griffin had been nodding along with Piffin's history lesson, and finally managed to add something of his own. "Krylous has told us that if we can get the help of a few key people, we may find a way to destroy the shard. The stone is beyond hope for destruction because it is too powerful, but the shard is not. It has fallen to you, those of you with the dream, to help us. This will be a very dangerous mission, but if we fail, Strolin is doomed."
All around the table gasps were heard, and grim looks were on every face. Then Scott stood up. "I don't know what I can add to this effort, but I will do anything within my power to help your cause." Wil stood up, and with a determined look, he agreed to join the fight. Grim faces changed to looks of determination. All of the chosen voiced their own promise to fight on behalf of the people of Strolin.
Although Thrin and his wife we both very proud of their son's bravery, they didn't want him to get hurt. Thrin looked at every face, then, cast his eyes downward. "I'm sorry son, but I can't allow you to go. You are to young to go on such a risky adventure, and I will not allow it. I will take your place, and serve in your absence." When Wil started to protest, Thrin raised his hand to silence his son. "I did not ask your opinion in this matter. My order is final, you will not be going on this mission."
Thrin turned to the two mages. "When do you need to mobilize your team, and move out? I will do my best to facilitate all of your needs." Piffin made a gesture toward his brother, and Griffin turned toward Thrin. "We would need to leave tomorrow if possible." When Thrin nodded and was about to say that would be fine, Griffin cut him off. "We are sorry, but you cannot take your son's place in our group. He was chosen, and no matter how much you hate the fact, we need his help to succeed. I do not have any idea what skills Wil might add to our quest. All I know is that we need all of the chosen to succeed. Now, do you understand?"
Thrin was looking towards Griffin, and working his mouth, but saying nothing. He was shocked that someone had actually sat him in his place. Queen Aretha, always being the polite one of the family, pulled her husband into his chair, and pushed his jaw closed. Then she patted him on the back and spoke on his behalf. "We wish we could protect Wil, but it is his decision, and we stand behind him. We're proud that he has chosen to do his part to save the world, and if there is anything else we can do, merely let us know."
Thrin had finally recovered, and addressed the council. "I will have food stores prepared, and readied by dawn. Horses for any that require them. Extra clothing, weapons, armor, and anything else you might need. I will have the entire castle at your disposal. If you need something that wouldn't be thought of normally, tell my Chief of Staff. Now, you have the rest of today, and tonight to rest. We have a large banquet planned for 3 hours after noon, and I will look forward to seeing you then. Make good use of your time, this may be the only downtime you have for a very long time. Until then."
The council dismissed, and the council members went off to spend their free time. Wil wanted to tour the town with Scott, but Scott needed to run a few errands before they could spend time together. The elven princes were busy checking out Dugron, and giving a face to the legend of elves. Carzo and Fenta had joined Trylon and Falon, and were drawing stares from countless people. Griffin and Piffin had heard about a few local magicians, and had taken it upon themselves to separate the real ones from the fakes.
Scott had hidden many stashes of gold and jewels into secret areas in the city. After he had recovered some gold, he went to his stash of jewels. He removed two rubies, and four emeralds. His next stop was the best gold smith in Dugron.
When he arrived, he talked to Steflen, and told him of the pieces he wanted. Steflen was about to throw him out of his shop until Scott handed him the gold that he was supposed to melt down and use. He had stolen the gold from an underground rare metals dealer who had a tendency to beat anyone that was in his area, and alone. Then Scott gave the smith the jewels to be used, and asked of the cost.
They haggled for a few minutes, and when they settled on a price, Steflen wanted to know the name of his customer. When he learned who his customer was, and made the connection with the riches and strange clothing, he dropped his price considerably, on the condition that he would not be the target of Scott's boosting. Since Scott liked the honest man, and hadn't considered him a possible job, it was agreeable to both sides. The gold smith had just finished his last job, so he would be able to finish them by sundown.
Scott returned to the room he was sharing with Wil, and they planned how they would spend their time that remained.
If you enjoyed reading Chapter 2 of The Plight of Strolin, please feel free to contact me at dwpresents@hotmail.com Please send only comments that are 'constructive'.
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