Quest Journal #2

The Miller's Debt

By Shayalyn

Ralsu and I emerged on the other side of The Low Road; weary and a little worse for the wear, but in one piece. Still a bit weak from my near-drowning, I found that I had to stop from time to time and catch my breath. Ralsu had been teasing me relentlessly about my apparent lack of swimming skills, and I had been waving my mace at him menacingly while his back was turned, which caused the occasional chuckle from passersby. Bards!

“I have a confession to make,” he said finally, a slight blush painting his cheeks. “I swear I didn't remember it at the time, but…”

“Yes?” I said, glowering at him through squinted eyes.

“I didn't realize I was wearing these.” He pointed down at his feet. “They're enchanted. Boots of Swimming.”

“Ugh! You take back every mocking word you said, Ralsu!” I grabbed my mace, clutching the handle in one hand and slapping it against the opposite palm threateningly. I think Ralsu might actually have run had he not seen the whisper of a smile on my lips.

We decided to speak to a guard near the sewer entrance. He welcomed us, despite our condition, and told us that we might speak to the Coin Lord, Berrigan Enge, if we were looking for work.

“Let's find this tavern I've heard about first,” said Ralsu. “I could use a rest and a pint of ale before we begin our next adventure.”

“You could use a bath,” I said, brushing the grime from my own armor.

“You don't exactly smell like roses yourself,” quipped the bard. I had to agree; the stench of the sewers hung about us like a green vapor.

After we'd cleaned ourselves up at The Leaky Dinghy, and downed some refreshments to help regenerate our strength and vigor, we headed back toward the city gates to the area known as Aspirant's Corner. There we found Enge. The well-dressed gentleman told us a bit about the Coin Lords and their duties. “We are the masters of Stormreach,” he said, and then added with a smile, “If only because we own most of it.” Enge told us that the Coin Lords were not cruel in their dealings with the citizens of Stormreach, and that it was their duty to protect and preserve the city. “We are not popular with the lower classes,” he admitted. “They envy us.”

Enge asked us if we would be willing to seek out Miller Tarrigan in his home, just a few paces behind where he stood, and collect the goods Tarrigan offered for his unpaid debt. “Our finances are in dire straights from the harbor's closure,” Enge explained.

“We'll do it,” I said. Ralsu cocked his head in my direction and raised an eyebrow, but then nodded his agreement.

As we entered the miller's home, I turned to Ralsu. “I haven't decided if I like those Coin Lords, and Enge in particular; he seems a little too slick for my taste. But it can't hurt to gain some favor with the most powerful people in Stormreach, can it?”

“I suppose not,” said Ralsu.

Our search of the miller's home revealed nothing, so we made our way into the dark basement. “I'm not sure I like this place,” I said, glancing around at the hewn-out rock walls. The smothering atmosphere seemed to glow a peculiar red color, a color I associated with danger and death.

“Never fear,” said Ralsu. “I'm ready to do your swimming for you, if necessary.”

“Very funny,” I rolled my eyes. “I don't suspect we'll have to do much swimming, so you're probably off the hook. But, come to think of it, I'll do your fighting for you.”

“Fair enough,” said Ralsu, cautiously proceeding.

A metallic clanking echoed through the corridor, and in seconds a mechanical dog was upon us. “Iron defenders!” I cried. I took a swing that glanced off the dog's head, and then quickly blocked its return bite with my shield. “I wasn't exactly expecting this.”

Ralsu dove at the metal dog from behind. “You were expecting a welcoming party for the tax collector's new friends, perhaps?”

Clank! A few moments later my mace connected with the beast's head and it slumped to the floor. “Not exactly,” I said, catching my breath. “But I wasn't figuring we'd come up against mechanical guard dogs, either.”

“You keep using the plural form—‘dogs,' You know something I don't?”

“I'm guessing that where there's one…”

Just then another of the canine constructs lunged out of the shadows, its sharp teeth sinking into Ralsu's thigh. Another dog leaped at me, eyes glowing. “…there's more!” I grunted, heaving my weapon at the dog as it bared its teeth to bite. I suddenly felt very thankful for my iron shield.

We dispatched the creatures, but not without sustaining injuries. I uttered arcane words that restored our health, and we moved deeper into the basement, alert for signs of further danger. Crates lined the walls of the cellar, but in our determination to find the miller we didn't take time to investigate them.

We were nearing the end of the basement when we spotted Tarrigan, trying in vain to hide in a corner. We approached him, and he told us that the goods we sought were in the next room. But after we spoke, Tarrigan suddenly ran off, shouting something about “Ironspike.” A metal door flew open, and particularly nasty-looking iron defender rushed toward us. I held up my shield, ready for the dog to lunge, but it was Ralsu he fell upon. In his leather armor, the bard was suddenly taking a harsh beating from the beast's vicious bites. Again, I uttered words of healing. I struck at the monster, trying to draw his attention to me, with my sturdier armor and shield, but the creature seemed bent on destroying Ralsu. I could see my friend's life force fading. It wasn't long before my healing magic failed to sustain him and, incapacitated, he fell to the floor.

“Now let's see you go after me, you rusty hunk of scrap metal!” I growled. The dog sunk his teeth into my leg before I could ward off the blow, and my vision blurred as my knees wobbled beneath me. Thank the gods I had learned to heal. I quickly regained my vigor, but the dog spewed a vile, greasy substance onto the floor and my feet went out from under me. I landed in a heap while the construct lunged at my throat. I regained my footing, healed myself again while warding off the dog's blows, and then swung hard with my mace. The connecting blow sent a shudder up my arm, and I leaped to the side, out of the way of the defender's bite. This went on for some time until, finally, Ironspike crumpled into a heap with a clatter and I ran to Ralsu's aid.

When my bard companion was restored to health, we ascended a ladder to find two chests. In one lay the goods that Tarrigan had promised the Coin Lords. In another, we found treasures. “We could leave these untouched…” I said.

“Or we could take them for our troubles,” Ralsu finished, speaking the thoughts that were already churning inside my head. After all, the miller had set up an ambush, one which we barely survived. We snatched the loot and headed back up to the city.

We emerged from the miller's home to find Enge waiting. He eagerly grabbed the miller's items, and didn't seem disturbed by the fact that we'd been attacked, or that the miller had run off. Payment seemed the only thing that concerned him.

We trudged back to The Leaky Dinghy, once again ready to rest and regroup. Whether Enge was deserving of our aid remains to be seen. Still, we had gained the respect of the Coin Lords, and, at least for the moment, that was enough for us.

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