Just before dawn, they cleaned up their campsite and ventured back into Cadmium. Trystan paid the boat rental fee, and the three of them rowed out toward the center of the lake. The yellow water was murky, and it was difficult to tell just how deep it went. It was also difficult to tell where the fish might congregate in large numbers. About an hour after they cast their net, the water began to bubble and froth. Hector ducked down low to blend in with the gear they had stored at their feet as the boat rocked from the onslaught of waves created by the sea dragon who emerged from the depths.
Ysolt had been at the ready since they pushed off from the docks. With her arm held high, she presented the silver nugget that glistened in the sunlight. Vayss lips spread to reveal a toothy smile, hissing with pleasure. The priestess tossed the nugget toward the dragon, which he deftly caught with his claws. Hector rose up after hearing the splash as the serpentine creature rolled and dove back below the water’s surface. He and Trystan narrowed their eyes to see if they could focus on the creature’s descent and were shocked to see his finned tail lash at them like an afterthought. Trystan flailed back, but the rogue lunged forward, his swift hands latched onto the fin. Hector choked down a deep breath before becoming completely submerged in the ochre-hued water.
The rogue dared not open his eyes in the murky water and thus could not see exactly where the dragon was swimming. The creature pulled him along at an incredible speed, yet Hector could still get a sense of which direction they were heading. At least, until it suddenly felt as though they were rising up. His head swam, his heart raced, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he would be able to hold his breath until he felt the sudden rush of air press against his face. Losing his grip, Hector floated in the water for a moment as he rubbed the moisture from his lashes. Within a few blinks, his eyes adjusted to the ambiance within the cavern. Sunlight poured through a hole far above, revealing the splendor of Vayss’s hoard on what little dry ground was available. Shimmering coins, sparkling jewels, armor and weaponry, and much more.
The dragon climbed onto his hoard and turned around over and over like a cat softening its bed before settling in. The rogue quietly skimmed through the water and found a place beneath a ledge that was out of sight of the serpentine creature. On the ledge above were numerous bottles filled with yellow dust. Trystan and Ysolt told him about the vial of yellow dust that transformed into Oliphard the Wizardly. Were these bottles even more people?
THIEVERY DIFFICULTY – 10
Hector’s Thievery Score: 6 + 1 + 3 = 10 – FAILED!
The rogue noticed how quickly it grew dark around him. Perhaps he had not hidden as well as he thought. He looked over his shoulder, his heterochromatic eyes widening as they rose to meet the dragon’s luminous gaze. “What do we have here?” Vayss inquired rather angrily. “A sneaky little burglar?” His voice snarled as his teeth snapped with rage. “Not in my lair!” Hector flailed and attempted to submerge himself below the water’s surface. It was too late, though. A cloud of acidic gas plumed out from the dragon’s lips and around the young man. He saw part of the treasure he floated near melt away. He held his breath, expecting to disintegrate into nothing more than a pile of yellow dust. Just like Oliphard!
Instead, he felt the weight of the Amulet of Protection disappear from his neck, and with a flash of light, the smoke around him shifted to mask his whereabouts. Hector nimbly pulled himself out of the water and took shelter behind a larger pile of treasure that included a pile of shields that obscured a hollowed-out alcove. As the smoke cleared, all that Vayss could see was yellow powder floating on the surface of the water. “Perfect,” he mused as he grabbed a bottle and gathered the powder into it before adding it to the ledge filled with the other vials and flasks.
The amulet had protected him. Ysolt’s gift had protected the rogue. He owed them, or more specifically her, his life for a second time. She wasn’t a priestess of the Three Fortunes, and yet his fortune felt changed because of her.
The rogue noticed how quickly it grew dark around him. Perhaps he had not hidden as well as he thought. He looked over his shoulder, his heterochromatic eyes widening as they rose to meet the dragon’s luminous gaze. “What do we have here?” Vayss inquired rather angrily. “A sneaky little burglar?” His voice snarled as his teeth snapped with rage. “Not in my lair!” Hector flailed and attempted to submerge himself below the water’s surface. It was too late, though. A cloud of acidic gas plumed out from the dragon’s lips and around the young man. He saw part of the treasure he floated near melt away. He held his breath, expecting to disintegrate into nothing more than a pile of yellow dust. Just like Oliphard!
Instead, he felt the weight of the Amulet of Protection disappear from his neck, and with a flash of light, the smoke around him shifted to mask his whereabouts. Hector nimbly pulled himself out of the water and took shelter behind a larger pile of treasure that included a pile of shields that obscured a hollowed-out alcove. As the smoke cleared, all that Vayss could see was yellow powder floating on the surface of the water. “Perfect,” he mused as he grabbed a bottle and gathered the powder into it before adding it to the ledge filled with the other vials and flasks.
The amulet had protected him. Ysolt’s gift had protected the rogue. He owed them, or more specifically her, his life for a second time. She wasn’t a priestess of the Three Fortunes, and yet his fortune felt changed because of her.
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