looking over to Vlishgnath.
Vlishgnath smiled back. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen a town full of people so happy to see the sun.”
“Did Grisbane give any sort of idea as to when he’d be heading back?”
Vlishgnath nodded. “He and his other two men are going to stay on for a few days. Help get the community back on its feet, ordain a new priest, and so forth.”
“I see. Well, well...look at this now, eh?” Thunderclese’s grin widened, and as the gates of Ascention swung open, they could all see what the blonde paladin was talking about.
A massive crowd of people lined the sides of the wide street, leading all throughout the city. As Vlishgnath and the others approached, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers and applause.
“Wonderful,” Maximus said irritably, shifting uncomfortably in his seat on the large wooden cart.
Vlishgnath chuckled. “It’ll be alright, Maximus.”
Once at the city gates, the main cathedral could be seen all the way at the back of the city. Between there and the gates, there wasn’t a spot along the side of the road that didn’t have someone standing. Vlishgnath smiled warmly at people, his inability to wave restricting him to an appreciative nod here and there. Thunderclese stood up in his stirrups once or twice, flailing his free right arm much to the crowd’s delight. Maximus didn’t let go of his reigns with either hand, content to hang back with the reserved Euronymus and let the flowers and confetti bounce off of him.
Up at the front doors of the main cathedral, Vogoth stood waiting. His wrinkled face was drawn up in a very relieved smile, while Arch Cleric Angelis stood off to the side and back a ways, clapping enthusiastically.
Once they were within ten yards of the church, Vlishgnath gave the order. “Dismount!” And, despite his condition, Vlishgnath did so quite gracefully.
All four of the men stood before the high priest, dropping to one knee and genuflecting before him. The crowd grew silent as Vogoth looked the group over, his eyes widening as he stopped on Vlishgnath.
“I see Mithos’ chosen champion has returned to us, and in dire need of some time to recuperate,” Vogoth said. “Is Drenton once again under the watchful guidance of Mithos?”
Vlishgnath raised his head, glancing around at the gathered crowd a moment before turning to meet Vogoth’s gaze. “Indeed it is. We have much to discuss, your holiness.”
The Sorcerer’s Dream
Episode 1
Peace between times of war. It was a luxury not often afforded the chosen champion of Mithos. Several months after the Drenton incident, Sir Vlishgnath the Cleansing Light found himself idly wandering the streets of Ascention. People bustled all around him, many recognizing him and offering a friendly nod and wave. Carrying his helmet tucked under his left arm, Vlishgnath would always nod and smile in return, his warm expression betraying no hint of the horrors he had borne witness to.
Only two others had been there with him when the Baron Jonathan LeFay had fallen, and had seen the depths of his madness and depravity. Presently, those two were not with him, Sir Thunderclese having been sent to the city of Forthos to oversee a garrison of paladins that had been sent in as reinforcement and Sir Maximus having been dispatched to deal with a barbarian uprising in the North.
Sir Vlishgnath came to a full stop, the unceasing flow of busy people going about their busy lives parting around him like a stream around a jutting stone. As he stood, watching them all go about their daily routines, he sighed, smiling faintly. Most of them rarely ever left the safety of Ascention’s mighty walls, so even if the church had decided to divulge what he and his companions had discovered in the basement of the LeFay mansion to the general public, the simple fact of the matter is that the majority of them wouldn’t be able to wrap their minds around it. As a result, it was times like these that Vlishgnath found himself feeling very alone, unsure of what to do with himself and prone to taking long walks through town.
After several moments of standing idle, Vlishgnath decided a visit to the nearby tavern was in order, as The Vagrant Bard inn often hosted some sort of musical entertainment and at the very least had a story or two to be heard.
Turning about abruptly and apologizing to the woman carrying a basket of what appeared to be rolls of fabric that he bumped into, Vlishgnath carefully weaved his way through the crowd in The Vagrant Bard’s direction. Once inside, Vlishgnath headed for the counter. A large, square-jawed man he’d never seen before with a bulging stomach motioned with a finger for him to wait a moment while he finished up a conversation with a patron. Vlishgnath nodded his understanding, leaning his elbow on the bar and surveying the room.
The usual gathering was all here; merchants having a hot meal while discussing the ever-changing prices on goods; University wizards gathered around a table in the corner, huffing away at their pipes and drinking their strange concoctions; travelers seeking room and board for the evening; and various other sorts. The Vagrant Bard was without question the most popular of Ascention’s inns, although for less than half the price one could enjoy the comfort of some bedding on a cold floor and risk being robbed at The Vulgar Cleric in the riverfront district. Standing at the end of the counter, Vlishgnath contentedly observed the patrons present.
When the barkeep finally began making his way towards Vlishgnath, the tavern doors suddenly flew open. A young woman looking to have just recently come of age burst into the room, her eyes in tears. She was dressed in a pair of form-fitting, light brown pants tucked into a pair of slender, leather boots, and a dark red top cinched just below her bust to reveal her well-toned stomach. Strawberry blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail that hung down past her shoulders, her bright blue eyes looking pitiful as she glanced around the room quickly before making her way over to a table of merchants.
Vlishgnath blinked once. Then again. When the barkeep came over to take his order, he shook his head and gestured for the man to be silent, pointing to the girl. The barkeep shrugged and went back to his friend, resuming their conversation. Meanwhile, the girl had found herself a captive audience, the gaudy merchants surrounding the circular table more than eager to hear the pretty young woman’s plight.
“…his name is Kragen, and he’s only seven! He’s the only family I have left, ever since our mother passed away, and I can’t find him anywhere! Have any of you seen him?! He’s about this tall, with brown eyes, short brown hair…”
Vlishgnath shook his head silently. Incredible, he thought to himself.
After several seconds, as if on cue, one of the merchants nodded enthusiastically, claiming he’d spotted a boy that met the very generalized description she’d given them, his eyes widening and glancing to his friends when she swooped in to hug him, sobbing with tears of gratitude.
Also as if on cue, Vlishgnath moved in, speaking as he approached, using his best hero voice and doing a spectacular job of it. “Excuse me, miss, I’m with the church. My name is Sir Vlishgnath the Cleansing Light. I couldn’t help but overhear your story…you say your little brother is missing?”
The girl froze in place for only the briefest of moments before letting go of the merchant and spinning around. With her backs to the men at the table, the very well-faked sincerity in her voice didn’t even come close to matching the look of disbelief on her face as she locked eyes with Vlishgnath. “Y-yes, I saw him heading this way…”
Putting on a very concerned expression, Vlishgnath nodded. “What was his name? Kragen?”
The girl rolled her eyes at this point, her voice still perfectly delivering her lines. “Yes! His name is Kragen, and he’s just a boy! I have to find him! I don’t know what I’d do without him!”
Vlishgnath nodded enthusiastically, reaching