vncnus Page 103
Page 103
Elminster chuckled. "He deserted early, likely betraying his comrades. Anyway, Bane tracked Midnight and the others to Tanris to retrieve the stone tablet, but Tom and the dragon summoned by Isis killed him. The magical storm caused by the fall of the god nearly destroyed the city, and at the critical moment, Isis and Midnight rang the bells of Alan..."
"What did they do?" Black Staff suddenly stood up. "No one can ring that bell, not even me!"
“But they did it,” Elminster confirmed. “The bells activated the anti-magic shield around the city and dispelled the turbulence.”
After a moment of silence, the black staff asked, "And then?"
Elminster exhaled a string of perfect smoke rings: "Midnight and Isis are heading to Waterdeep with the stone tablet."
"Why?" the black staff asked, puzzled.
The old sage smiled slightly: "Two reasons. First, there is a Heavenly Staircase here; second, I am certain that the other stone tablet is somewhere in Waterdeep. It is said that both tablets must be collected to send the gods back."
"The stone tablet is in Waterdeep?" Black Staff asked incredulously. "The exact location?"
“That’s why I need your help,” Elminster said, putting away his pipe. “All I know is that it’s in this city.”
“Deepwater City is a vast area…” Black Staff’s eyes darted around.
“So we must act immediately,” the old sage stood up, “to find it before Isis and midnight arrive.”
67. I'll take you flying.
"See? I told you Elminster was unreliable. For such an important mission as escorting the Tablet of Destiny, he sent you bunch of greenhorns to face the menacing gaze of Death, trekking across mountains and valleys, while he himself rode off to Waterdeep in a glittering luxury sports car to enjoy himself. Now you're still here starving, while he's probably already in the arms of the mistress of the Purple Silk House, Gasari Sunderel, soaking in hot water, drinking tea, and then lying on the bed indulging in pleasure..." Iron Dragon muttered, the scales at the tips of his wings gently rubbing together, creating a few sparks.
“Mentor…” Isis interrupted Casalos’s rambling with a sigh, “You said you would escort us to Waterdeep, so Elminster contacted Kelben Black Staff first. With the help of the archmage of Waterdeep, our mission will be much smoother.”
"You seem quite familiar with Waterdeep?" Midnight, however, noticed something else.
"Familiar? Of course I'm familiar. I have a lot of assets in Waterdeep City... and I have a lot of friends. I get along well with most of the Hidden Dragons, and I know all the Singing Dragons outside the city..."
In the past, Casalos would never have talked so much with a group of humans. But ever since the gods were banished, a huge weight on its heart had disappeared, and the iron dragon had unconsciously become more talkative. While chatting about random things, Casalos's thoughts were actually immersed in the pseudo-Laplace's demon, constantly deducing future changes.
After verifying the known information with Isis and the others, Casalos realized that the world line shift he had caused had already begun, and even the script of AO had changed at the beginning - the biggest difference was that the Tablets of Fate stolen by the Triad of Death had changed from two to three.
This immediately diminished Casalos's "prophetic" advantage by more than half. The first stone tablet was hidden in the Temple of Tanristrom by the mentally unstable Bane, the second was in Melkor's hands, so where is the third one?
Well, it's actually quite easy to guess. The three gods of death stole three tablets of fate, so naturally one of them was holding one.
The problem is, Baal also has his own Tablet of Fate. Will he come after Isis and Midnight to steal the tablet from them?
"Ethan, how are you?" Seeing her mentor deep in thought, Isis turned to show concern for her friend.
The prophet priest, Eton, was pale, his eyes still somewhat dazed. "I...I don't know, Isis. I feel strange, as if I'm standing on the edge of an abyss, yet there's a force pushing me down..."
“You rejected Tom, didn’t you?” Casalos suddenly lowered his head and interjected, his indigo eyes flickering slightly.
Eton looked up in surprise: "How did you know?"
“Hmph, a stupid question…” Iron Dragon flicked its tail. “Milko and the others won’t let Tom go easily. Since He isn’t residing in your body, where is He now? Tell me, don’t hide it.”
Eton shook his head, a hint of struggle in his voice: "I...I don't know where He went. Tom disappeared after I refused. This experience has made me think a lot...What exactly is the relationship between believers, faith, and gods? Are we really just their vessels and tools?"
“Look, another one led astray by Elminster.” Casalos exhaled a breath of hot air, causing the air to distort slightly. “Deep mental work like pondering philosophical questions is not suitable for you living mortals. Philosophical thinking not only cannot cure the hunger and disease of your fragile bodies, but it will also lead to excessive brain activity and accelerate the aging process…”
“Mentor!” Isis interrupted Casalos’s long-winded speech again. “If we are to get to Waterdeep, we should set off as soon as possible.”
“You’re right,” Tie Long said, his playful smile fading.
“The portal artifact that Elminster took away can only be used by one person, and a regular carriage probably can’t keep up with the pace of the gods’ collapse,” Midnight blinked. “Do you have any good ideas?”
"Shall I transform back into human form and pull a carriage for each of you?" Casalos leaned closer, his hot breath brushing against Midnight's face, carrying a hint of the metallic sweetness of iron ions.
"One...one plane per person?" Midnight subconsciously took a step back, her cheeks slightly flushed. "Why can't we all sit in one plane together?"
Isis covered her face with her hands, realizing that her mentor enjoyed teasing Midnight—the dragon usually didn't give humans a friendly look.
Chapter 322
It's colored, and I don't know why.
“Because I can’t pull such a big carriage when I’m in human form,” Casalos joked. “Your question is really… I’m a dragon, why would I ride in a carriage!”
The Iron Dragon raised its head and issued new instructions to all the skilled craftsmen of Tanris. As one of the "heroes" who saved the city, it deserved this treatment. Under the Iron Dragon's command, dozens of followers of the God of Craftsmen worked together to create this peculiar device using the finest metals and leather—a closed, streamlined "carriage" with four sturdy handles, just the right size for the dragon's claws to grip.
"What is this?" Kailanwo looked at the object, which resembled a closed carriage, with a strange expression and tapped the metal casing lightly with the tip of his sword.
“I call it the ‘Dragon Claw Transport Pod’,” Casalos replied smugly, tilting his head back. “You humans crawl inside, and I’ll carry it by my claws and fly. That way we can get to Waterdeep quickly.”
"You...you're going to put us in this box and fly us all over Faerûn?" Midnight asked incredulously.
"Is there a problem?" Casalos tilted his head, looking innocent. "This was designed specifically for you frail humanoids. It's windproof and waterproof, and it can insulate against the low temperatures at high altitudes. With a couple of wind spells, it can also prevent suffocation caused by thin air."
Kailanwo shook his head and smiled bitterly: "I thought I had seen a lot of strange and wonderful things, but I never thought that one day I would be carried across the continent by a dragon like a vegetable basket."
"Are you criticizing my idea?" Casalos narrowed his eyes, a spark of fire flashing in his throat. "Then you can go there yourself and see if you can get to Waterdeep in three months."
“I don’t mean to be disgusted,” Kalanwo quickly explained, “it’s just that this experience will probably be very…unique.”
Isis and Midnight exchanged a glance, and the two mages sighed simultaneously: "It seems we have no other choice."
Isis knew very well that with so many people present, her mentor wouldn't let her ride on the dragon's back.
The group squeezed into the "Dragon Transport Container," which was designed to be fairly spacious; four people could fit comfortably together. Special leather and wool padding minimized bumps and insulated against strong winds.
"Hold on tight, everyone, we're about to take off!" Casalos took off, turned around, leaped over the cabin, grabbed the handle with its four claws, spread its wings and created a hurricane, carrying the "Dragon Transport Pod" into the sky.
"Waaaaah—" A panicked scream erupted from inside the cabin, but Casalos merely clicked his beak and let out a soft chuckle.
"I won't fly too smoothly, time is of the essence," Tie Long muttered to himself as he accelerated toward the clouds.
68. Staying overnight
As the sun dipped below the horizon and into the Comansel Forest, Casalos had already covered a third of the distance with the four people in the cabin. Midnight and the others had long since calmed down from their initial fear, and occasional murmurs of conversation could be heard from inside the cabin.
"Mentor, where are we going to spend the night?" Isis's voice came from inside the cabin.
Casalos's gaze swept across the narrow, dense forest ahead, and he spotted a secluded valley in the twilight: "I was in this area not long ago, and I happened to be visiting an old friend. I'll stay at his house for the night; I don't think the Dracoel family would refuse."
"The Dracol...family?" Midnight's voice held a hint of confusion. "Is it...a dragon?"
“Yes, it’s a group of golden dragons,” Casalos replied. “Don’t worry, I have a good relationship with their family.”
There was a moment of silence in the cabin, then Eden's weak voice broke out: "We're going to have dinner with a bunch of... golden dragons?"
"What, scared?" Casalos teased. "Don't worry, the golden dragon doesn't eat people, at least not living people like you."
“Mentor!” Isis’s reproachful voice rang out again, and Casalos awkwardly shut up, abandoning his joking attitude: This little girl…
Dragon wings swept across the sky as the iron dragon, carrying the "dragon transport pod," slowly descended into the secluded valley. There stood a magnificent cave formed by a combination of natural rock and exquisite stone carvings, its entrance adorned with intricate runes and patterns of coiled golden dragons.
Three young golden dragons, no less large than Casalos, had already rushed out of the valley and were circling around, watching the iron dragon that had suddenly arrived warily. Only when they recognized Casalos did they come over to greet it and join the "formation". The largest one went forward to lead the way: "Cassaloz? What brings you here?"
“I’m on my way from Tanreth to Waterdeep and just happened to be passing through, so I thought I’d drop by,” Casalos nodded slightly. “My companions can’t handle the long flight and need to stay the night.”
Upon hearing the name, the young golden dragons' attitudes immediately changed, with one even flapping its wings excitedly: "Great! Grandmother often mentions you, saying you're an incredible dragon. She'll be so happy to meet you!"
"Fellow travelers?" another golden dragon asked curiously, its gaze falling on the "dragon transport capsule." "Who are they?"
As the golden dragon descended, Casalos lowered the sedan chair, indicating that Isis and the others could exit: "My human friends, they are on an important mission, a mission entrusted to them by the Goddess of Magic."
The hatch opened, and four humans staggered out. Faced with three golden dragons as large as Casalos, Midnight unconsciously gripped her new staff—not the strange contraption Isis used with a barbarian greatsword inlaid on it, but a normal staff. She had taken Casalos's "advice" to heart, just a little bit.
"Uh... good evening?" Midnight tried to greet him, her voice trembling slightly.
The golden dragons seemed equally curious about the humans. One of them lowered its head, almost bringing its nose to Midnight's face: "Oh! A human who knows magic! I can smell the aura of magic!"
“Please don’t get so close to the mage, young dragon,” Casalos coughed. “Humans are easily frightened, and frightened mages often react in a way that is… excessive.”
The golden dragon quickly stepped back, sticking out its tongue in apology. Just then, a majestic voice came from deep within the cave: "Who's making a racket outside?"
A golden dragon, far larger than Casalos, slowly emerged. Her scales shimmered with dazzling golden light in the afterglow of the setting sun, and her eyes, which were fused into golden hues, and her short face covered with tentacles, were full of wisdom and vicissitudes.
"Cassaloz?" The golden dragon's surprised voice echoed through the valley. "What a pleasant surprise!"
Casalos stepped forward and bowed slightly in respect: "Ms. Delacor, I apologize for the intrusion. I have brought you a small gift."
“Oh, don’t say I’m bothering you,” Dracol said, folding the sails behind him and taking the head-sized topaz from the Iron Dragon Wing hook. “If it weren’t for you… I and the parents of these little guys would probably be dead by the Terasque behemoths. Would you like to come in, Rakmadon and Fionamiron?”
Iron Dragon smiled slightly: "Everything is fine. Lakmadon and its kin are spending all their time in my library, and we can't get them out no matter what we do. Fionamiron is still in Damara helping Dragon Nightmare fight off the demons."
“Haha, even the Scroll Dragons are like this, as for Damara… His Highness the Glorious has already decided to intervene, so the demons are no longer a concern.” Dracol’s gaze shifted to Isis and the others, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes: “You are now traveling with humans? That’s quite rare.”
“These are my friends,” Casalos introduced, “my apprentice Isis, the mage Midnight, the warrior Kalanvor, and the priest Eden. We are on our way to Waterdeep.”
Jinlong nodded, a knowing glint in his eyes. His control over the odds allowed him to sense something: "Deepwater City... it seems you've gotten yourself into quite a bit of trouble."
“It’s much bigger than trouble,” Casalos said seriously. “The world is facing unprecedented challenges.”
Chapter 323
Some crises.
Delacor paused for a moment, then stepped aside to make way for the cave entrance. "Come in anyway. It's late, and there are always some ill-intentioned creatures lurking in the forest. I've sent the children to prepare some food; you must be hungry."
Isis and the others watched in surprise at the golden dragon's hospitality. This golden dragon was quite different from the ones in the legends. The young girl turned to look at her mentor, her eyes full of questions. Casalos simply nodded slightly, signaling them to follow.
Entering the spacious cave, the humans were astonished to find it far more expansive than it appeared from the outside. The interior had been transformed into a magnificent palace, with towering stone pillars carved with ancient runes and the ceiling inlaid with countless glittering gems, mimicking a starry sky. In the center was a massive circular platform, thickly covered with… gold and silver jewels. Well, this did somewhat fit the legends of dragons.
Several elves came out and provided mounts for everyone. Dracol also transformed into a plump lady and said modestly, "I haven't traveled on the continent for a long time, and I've almost forgotten how to transform."
Casalos clicked his iron beak, watching as the golden dragons transformed into elves, humans, dwarves, and even halflings. Helplessly, he flapped his wings and became a heavily armored warrior, sitting down on the extravagantly decorated chair, making it creak under his weight.
"Mentor, you really are... why are you still wearing that armor?" The young girl rolled her eyes at the chair that was overburdened, and carefully sat down on the cushion, amazed by its extravagance.
Casalos sat beside Dracol, whispering something to the golden dragon.
Soon, a group of halflings returned with food. To the dragons, it was just a snack, but to the humans it was a sumptuous feast: golden-roasted wild boar, fragrant bread, various fresh fruits and nuts, and several jugs of sweet mead.
“Here you go,” a young golden dragon, transformed into an elf, carefully handed a silver plate to Midnight. “These are our specially made candied apples; humans love them.”
Midnight took the plate in surprise and whispered to Isis, "It's strange, I thought having dinner with dragons would be a disaster, but they're so...friendly."
Isis chuckled. "That's why I always say, don't be intimidated by those terrible legends about dragons. Every race has its good and evil, and dragons are no exception."
Kailanvor glanced around warily, his hand never leaving the hilt of his sword, and muttered to himself, "I'm still not used to eating among a bunch of creatures that could swallow me whole, even though they've all turned into humans."
Eton remained calm. He took a glass of mead and said softly to Kalanvor, "Think about it, we've even worked with the gods. Compared to that, what is this?"
As night fell, dozens of magical lamps were lit in the cave, casting a warm glow. Dracol and Casalos's voices rose and fell, occasionally punctuated by the laughter of a dragon. The four human adventurers spent an unprecedented night in the dragon's cave.
69. Poor Melkor (1)
The night was far from peaceful. Before the four adventurers had even fallen into a deep sleep, a commotion arose from the Dracol family's cave.
“Something is approaching,” a young golden dragon hurriedly flew into the hall. “Grandmother, there is the smell of death in the air.”
Dracol reverted to her dragon form, narrowed her eyes, and swept her sharp gaze toward the outside of the cave: "The visitors are not friendly." She turned to the four humans still fast asleep on the silk mat, "They must be here to see them."
Casalos also stood up alertly, its long tail flicking as the scales at the tip of its tail scraped across the stone ground, creating a spark.
Isis woke up first, and her keen intuition for danger made her quickly shake the other three awake.
"What happened?" Kailanwo instinctively grabbed the hilt of his sword, his sleepiness instantly vanishing.
“There are enemies,” Isis replied briefly, as she began to chant a protective spell in a low voice, magic gathering into a glimmer at her fingertips.
A colossal figure was slowly approaching the valley, hovering in the air. It was a skeleton—a massive black dragon skeleton, its surface covered in decaying black matter, and its empty eye sockets burning with eerie blue flames.
"Dragon Lich? The Dragon Cult has gotten involved too?" Casalos asked, somewhat puzzled.
“No, not liches, but bone dragons,” Dracol said coldly, “puppet of the god of death.”
The Primordial Golden Dragon's control over opportunity—or rather, its power of opportunity—is far superior to that of the Pseudo-Laplace's Demon in judging long clues lacking effective information.
Casalos narrowed his eyes slightly: "Interesting. Melkor actually sent demons to stop us? This is not like him."
Delacor looked at Casalos warily: "You mean this is just bait?"
“Very likely,” Tie Long nodded, “it probably wanted to lure me away so that other hidden forces could seize the Tablet of Destiny.”
Several young golden dragons also surged to the cave entrance, their eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and wariness.
“Let us fight, Grandmother!” pleaded a young golden dragon. “It is the duty of every golden dragon to eradicate such evil forces and uphold justice!”
Delacor hesitated for a moment, then turned to Casalos: "What do you think?"
Casalos closed his iron beak, his lips extending slightly beyond his eyes, revealing dagger-like teeth: "Why not let the young dragons try their hand? This skeletal dragon may look enormous, but it's essentially just a demon from the underworld. Melkor won't invest too much effort in a single bait."
Dracol nodded and said to the young golden dragons, “Go, children, but be careful. Remember to keep your distance and don’t let the corrupting and desecrating power of the undead touch you.”
Three young golden dragons nodded excitedly, spread their wings, and rushed out of the cave. Their golden figures glided through the morning light in beautiful arcs, like three elegant goldfish swimming, skimming along the forest towards the bone dragon. Behind them followed two mature golden dragons to bring up the rear.
"Don't you need our help?" Midnight asked, magical energy already beginning to gather on his staff.