Faz #1

[Charlotte]

"You're thinking of picking a fight with an entire druidic cult?" Zarra thought for a moment, then shrugged. "I suppose they started it. For the record, I was worried about you too. Glad you're okay."

Lionel fell into step with Zarra and Faz. "So: I've been thinking..."

"The four scariest words in Common."

"A bundle of laughs as always, Zarra. Faz, the lightning rail runs in two directions. We could, potentially, split up. Half of us taking Tordek to meet justice at the hands of the Gatekeepers - who will be quite happy to have a traitor ferreted out - and the other half of us head to Karrnath to catch up on his superior, and whatever blights the bugger might be spreading. Of course, we can all head to meet the Gatekeepers to play it safe, but I wanted to know what you all thought. We take a chance either way."

[Necronaut]

"Well, you know me. I'd rather avoid a straight up fight if there's any chance we can just make it look like fate decided to chew them up and spit them out." He grinned and added with emphatic superfluousness, "You know, all sneaky-like."

"I think we'll be happier if we keep some eyes and hands right on the blighter. But I think we'd do well to get a head start in Karrnath. If there are any more agents kicking around they'll start sending word out pretty quick when they see him brought in and we might well miss our chance to do some damage. Whoever heads to the gatekeepers should probably do some fancy footwork on the way, just to be on the safe side."

[Charlotte]

After some debate that lasted until they reached the station, it was decided that Zarra, Thumper and Lionel would take the prisoner back to face justice and further the investigation, while Dr. K and Faz would head into Karrnath to pursue leads on Tordek's immediate superior. Dr. K, as gregarious as half-elves typically were, knew someone who knew someone in Karrnath, and had some ideas as to where to start.

As they bid farewell to each other and Faz and Dr. K settled in to their cabin, Dr. K began an elaborate prayer commemorating the Silver Flame on one of its more obscure holy days, and Faz listened quietly as Hamish spoke of the duality of the flame - how that which warms could burn, and that which burns could warm, and how in this the mortal soul was reflected. That true grace and pure evil could exist, often at the same time, in each sentient being, and that this was the best news of all because it meant that no one was beyond the touch of divinity.

Faz remembered the first instance of this prayer, before Dr. K had modified it. It used to say just humans, and Dr. K had modified it to all mortalkind; he had, after meeting Faz, expanded it to all sentience.

Faz wasn't always sure about divinity, of grace or evil or any such cosmic conceits. But in the end, Faz was grateful for for the little touches such as a prayer, and how friends who would do that were inevitably friends who would do anything, and that maybe in a world still wounded by war, that was all you could count on.

 

TO BE CONTINUED...

...in JUSTICE LEAGUE OF EBERRON #1!