C3(1) "Delyth"

"Delyth"
(WC 997)

“What does Drujon mean to you?” Phillip was usually a quiet man, so the question surprised Chulon as they walked through the early morning silence of Hearkendale. They had been in the town for over a week now, trying to answer a question which was becoming more pressing with each demon attack: “why?”
Chulon thought about the question for a moment. “It means nothing. The god of nothing perhaps?”
Phillip nodded, but stopped walking. They were at the edge of the large, empty town square. “The inhabitants of Hearkendale followed Heirzem. Heirzem was from the sect of Drujon. Drujon is the god of nothing. So they have no temple in their town.” Phillip mused aloud. “It makes sense in all the wrong ways.”
Chulon knew what he meant. There was something about Hearkendale that felt unnatural to him. Laethecna taught him to rely on logic and all that Phillip had just said seemed perfectly logical. Yet, as he looked at the big empty town square - the place where they would have expected to see a temple – the logic of it felt... unsettled. It was as though a dark wall had been painted over with white paint. Though the paint covered the original color, somehow the darkness was still visible through it.
“Do you think that Hearkendale was meant to be a trap?” Phillip sounded doubtful even as he asked the question.
“A trap in what way?”
They started walking again as Phillip formed a response. “If Hearkendale is a settlement under the god of nothing, then why would they say their mission was to reach out and establish a bridge between the Eclosei and Dour Gujhest? How does nothingness motivate that kind of connection?”
They stopped again, closer to the center of the square. Rivensorn was walking toward them. Phillip leaned in confidentially toward Chulon, “Hearkendale, to the best of my knowledge, has not once attempted to contact Dour Gujhest.”
“Chulon,” Rivensorn hailed them, “I must speak with you.” He pulled Chulon aside, indicating Phillip should stay away with a stern look from his eyes. It was clear that Rivensorn did not trust the mage. It was also clear that he had no intention of learning such trust either. Phillip did not mind it so much, he considered Rivensorn and the other inhabitants of Hearkendale to be incredibly gracious for simply allowing him to stay for as long as he had and investigate what had happened there. Phillip understood the deep divide that separated him from these people because of the power he had disciplined himself in.
“Have you spoken with Pinmey?” Rivensorn began in earnest.
“Yes.”
“He believes there is a sect of magic users – Nhimyggai - in the northlands who are responsible for the demonic attacks.” Rivensorn grabbed Chulon's shoulder and pulled him closer. “I think he might be right. If these demon attacks persist as they have been... the Eclosei will react. I sent work back to Mount Isteray shortly before you arrived and from their response I can't imagine how a war between the Eclosei and the mages could be avoided. They said that they have lost over thirty temples within the Sinzakij and Ortakij kingdoms to these attacks. The demons are targeting our priests and monks specifically and Dour Gujhest will be held responsible for this.” Rivensorn paused and looked at Chulon with a mixture of despair and frustration that Chulon had not expected to see. “War between the Eclosei and Dour Gujhest would be devastating. I fear I do not know who would win or what would be left of either faction by the time all was written. More importantly, such a conflict would tear the heart out of the Ortakij and Sinzakij kingdoms, greatly weakening their defenses. If these Nhimyggai wanted to destroy us, well...”
Chulon nodded. He very much doubted that Dour Gujhest would stoop to waging war against the Eclosei, nonetheless there could be some substance to the idea that these attacks were somehow motivated by magic users from Vechtazul. There had to be some outside influence involved. So many mages turning to demonic ways was inconceivable otherwise.
“Also,” Rivensorn lowered his voice even further, “I am haunted by the thought of what has happened to Delyth. Please, I need to know - and that demon... it must be destroyed. I would search for it myself, but I have passed the power of vengeance on to Jilan and the cycle of cleansing has been interrupted because of it. I fear we are powerless to finish it. We need justice, Chulon.”
Chulon nodded again. The cycle of cleansing vengeance was nothing to be trifled with. Rivensorn already bore so many signs of degradation from his decision to take up the mantle of leadership; somehow Chulon felt it was the least he could do to relieve the man from this burden.
“Your demon will be cleansed, Rivensorn, set your mind at ease.” Chulon patted him reassuringly on the shoulder, “I will not fail.”
“Thank you.”
Rivensorn set his jaw and hurried off to attend other business as Hearkendale began to awaken with the morning. Chulon motioned to Phillip.
“My time here is finished.” He said when the mage came closer. “I must travel north, into Vechtazul Solace. I think there are answers to be found there.”
Phillip smiled. “You knew I would be returning to Dour Gujhest. Are you sure you won't also return?”
Chulon shook his head. “There is nothing more for me in Dour Gujhest.”
“Allow me to avenge Delyth then, my friend. There may be something more I can learn from this demon.”
Chulon looked at Phillip with surprise. “You are a mage...”
“There is more to it than that.”
It was a cryptic response and Chulon did not think it wise to leave a matter he had pledged himself to in the hands of someone so obviously ill-suited to the task. But he agreed, to his own surprise, feeling suddenly very confident that Phillip would not fail.

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