Jebidiah's Change Bk. 01 Ch. 14

"Thank you for explaining, Shirley."

She nodded with a small smile. "Your family, my Lord, it is refreshing. It is the first group of people I have encountered where everyone has been accepting."

"You have had trouble at the Academy?" Michael asked.

"Not overtly, but yes, it is always there. Subtle snubs, snide comments, whispers behind me as I pass, the occasional backhanded compliment. Honestly I think Farrah and I were selected for this assignment because everyone wanted us out of the way and rumors about your group did not paint you in the best of light. I know Farrah was as happy as I was that the rumors were unfounded. It was said you even assaulted some of the Academy staff."

"Oh, that part was true." Tenner added, knowing Jebidiah would feel uncomfortable discussing it. "But it was warranted, Crystal was beaten and Jeb had to step in to save the day as is his tendency. Shirley, I can speak for the rest of the wives when I say we all admire your knowledge and skill, if we don't outright find you adorable. It is good to hear you speak of yourself, we were discussing bringing you on to the House staff on a more permanent basis if we could."

Jebidiah raised an eyebrow at that. "Planning more stuff without me?"

"Stuff it, husband, this is wife business. We all love you, but you need to let us deal with what we need to. Shirley is too valuable to us to just let go of."

"I... I do not know what to say, my Lady. I have never had someone, let alone a family, desire to have me around them on anything but a short term basis. The thought is, I think alien would be the correct term." She looked at Jebidiah briefly, and he could swear she was about to tear up. "You have a very unique family, my Lord."

"Shirley, we were going to discuss it when we returned to Tonstar but no harm, no foul if we do now. I just want you to consider it. We can offer you as much acceptance as you need. You know so much about us and we all would love to learn more about you."

"Yes, I have observed much." She bit her lip and the blush on her cheeks this time was a full on affair, her pink skin took on a richly purple sheen.

"What about you, Farrah? What are your thoughts?" Jebidiah asked, hoping to make some grounds repairing his relationship with the elf.

"I... I am afraid I will not be with you for much longer. I will stay with you as long as I am able, but I have something I must do that will take me away. I am sorry if it will cause problems."

"I am sorry as well, we will be sad to see you leave." Jebidiah sighed internally, hoping it did not show. He felt personally responsible for Farrah's state of mind but was at a loss on how to remedy the issue.

Jebidiah tried to change the subject instead, "Shirley, you said that tieflings have no homeland, or culture, is there at least a community? Others in similar circumstances to bond with?"

"We do not bond. I know of none in that situation, no one would have us and the chance of our children continuing the bloodline is too great, even though our race does not work that way."

"You have surnames though? Jessup is your mother's line?"

Silence stretched out then and Jebidiah had figured he pushed too far, but she answered. "Michael, Lord Tonstar, may I speak in confidence? You are a good man and I will trust your word."

"You have my word, Shirley, I will not break your confidence."

"Jessup is not my surname, I do not know who my mother is or was, nor my father. I was abandoned as a babe. We do not undergo the Change but instead are born this way, my parents left me to die. I know not even if my parents were Human or otherwise. The infernal bloodline overrides what the parenting races have to offer. The odds that I would birth another tiefling are the same odds you would, my Lady, or any of your other wives."

"Your secret is safe with us, Shirley. Perhaps safer than most places. Just another bonus of sticking it out with our House, it's not like any of us would give a shit you don't know your parents."

"I am not sure what you mean by that," Shirley said a little hesitantly.

"I have no idea who my parents are or were either," Jebidiah answered. "I was raised as Jebidiah Ryan Overton, but in reality I was found left on the doorsteps of the Overton farmhouse as a babe and they took me in. I don't think they ever resolved how my birth threw the numbers off for that tenday."

"They didn't," Michael quickly interjected. "I looked that up at the keep. You are one of the very very few unaccounted births in the chronicles. They noted that possibly one of the other kingdoms miscounted"

"Nice to be special. At any rate, Shirley, you are in good company."

"That is unexpected, but nice all the same. But wait, the rumors of the conspiracy all said you were just assuming the Valor name but couldn't be one because the bloodline was dead. I know about the Divine declaration of course, but if you are of unknown parentage then the possibility exists?"

"It shouldn't. The bloodline died at Bellatrix's claws centuries ago and the Tonstar family line is tracked to the point of paranoia, there's no chance of an indiscreet dalliance by one of the Tonstar men. It shouldn't be possible but here we are, in more ways than one." They had arrived at one of the Keep entrances where Jebidiah opened a door and held it open. "Ladies first." Tenner and Shirley giggled and stepped through.

Kelek and Sift explored the Keep's halls until they found a promising room. Both desired to see more of the city, but both understood the trouble that would come from walking around as they were. During their long talks Kelek had been encouraging Sift's desire to learn more about the world, fueling the need to get out and explore with Kelek as a guide. When Jebidiah had visited with the Lydia woman (it gave Kelek a little more security that these humans were not fully insane by leaving a male in charge) and told Kelek she was not a prisoner, she was able to turn that into tacit approval for the two of them to explore the city. Sift's instructions were to make sure Kelek's needs were met and to keep an eye on her. Up until the visit, it had been assumed that Kelek was confined to specific areas.

The room they found was a worker's washroom and laundry. There were various bins sitting around full of linens and tunics and other items requiring wash, and the two dug through the offerings before them, searching for something that would work.

Kelek considered her position as they combed through layers of discarded fabrics. Sift had proven to be an enjoyable companion and even the Jebidiah man was not bad to deal with. He seemed to be truly concerned about her wellbeing, which was stupid but worked to her advantage. Kelek accepted his commands since he was in charge of the one that bested her in combat. That one, the short one, was an anathema and Kelek needed to find and defeat her to regain her honor and true freedom. She had requested the option for combat several times but always the man Jebidiah would smile and say no, she at first assumed he was insulting her but soon realized insult was not his intent. It was still insulting. He wasn't even the biggest issue. She could challenge the short one herself and skip the man Jebidiah but there were two short ones now, twins, always together, giggling like children. There was too much danger Kelek could pick the wrong one to challenge which might make her situation even worse.

And then there were the stupid Divines to consider. The People knew of the Divine of course, but did not truly care about them. The confirmation that the dreams that led her to the Jebidiah man were caused by the Divine did not sit well with her. Every shaman that wishes to lead her own sub-tribe must take a pilgrimage when they reached their tenth summer. The experience they gained outside of the tribal lands gave them greater knowledge of how to protect the tribe. If they did not survive the pilgrimage, then the tribe would benefit as well by removing the weakness. Only the strong can lead.

The pilgrimages also served another purpose. Most had objectives, things that the tribe needed to gain more information or verification on. Kelek originally was meant to investigate the flying boat that began passing over their swamp. It came every month, on the same day, adhering to some unknown schedule. Kelek was meant to track it down to discover where it came from, and if there was just one or more to contend with. Then her dreams started and her mentor changed the objective of her pilgrimage. Follow the axes.

"Friend Kelek, this may be suitable." Sift's statement drew her away from her thoughts. Sift began wrapping herself in a heavy cloak with a deep hood that hid her face, much like the ones the Duchess provided to bring them into the Keep.

"We can try." Kelek said in agreement. "If we get spotted and someone tries to raise the alarm we can always just eat them."

"I do not require food, friend Kelek."

"More for me then." Her hissing laughter filled the room and she quickly quieted. "Let's find an exit and I will prepare." Kelek grabbed a matching cloak for herself and the two left, searching for said exit. Kelek let Sift take the lead, the golem's navigation and spatial awareness were far above what Kelek was capable of.

They found what appeared to be a side entrance, the glass window in the same wall as the door had sunlight streaming into it. "I believe this will be suitable," Sift declared.

Kelek hissed agreement once again, wrapped her tail around her body then began a spell. Her features distorted until a human female stood in her place, looking exactly like Greta, whom Kelek had copied for her illusion. She put on the cloak, raised the hood, then the two exited the Keep, but stopped short when they spotted the Jebidiah man and some of the others entering through a doorway some forty feet away.

Jebidiah looked over at them briefly as he held the door for the others. He hesitated but finally his gaze left them as he entered the Keep himself. "The cloaks work, friend Kelek. Let us explore,"

Jebidiah reconsidered going back out to see who it was he had spotted leaving the keep. Why anyone would need a heavy cloak in the beginning of summer caused him to question who they were. He let it go though, the keep had security and there were bigger things going on.

They moved into the interior of the keep, getting turned around a few times, until some helpful staff were able to direct them to their intended destination. "Your Grace." Michael and Jebidiah spoke the honorific in the same instance.

The Duchess Lydia was standing next to her General, Clara, deep in discussion as they looked over a broad table that held a diorama of the keep and surrounding land on it. Miniature figures had been placed in the area in front of the keep with small flags denoting banners, matching what he had observed himself. The Duchess looked up and gave her own greetings back. "Lord Tonstar, Lord Valor, Ladies, well met and welcome. Lord Valor, we found a necromancer that is willing to question your corpses. Unfortunately I still cannot locate anyone to interrogate or interpret the goblin, we may need to break this siege first. We have her safely placed into a cell until you are ready for her. I must warn you, the necromancer can be difficult, he refused to tell us what payment he required, saying only he would discuss it with you. I thought Michael would be appropriate to include."

"Where is this necromancer? What is his name?"

Lydia and Clara exchanged glances, "He is in one of the crypts. It is... unpleasant in them and he refuses to leave it. Nobody knows his name and everyone has been afraid to give him one for fear of attracting his attention. We say 'he' because no sane woman would act that way, we know nothing about his gender. Anyone foolhardy enough to enter his domain uninvited does not return. It is with no small trepidation we send you to speak with him, but he reached out to us with an invitation and needs are what they are. You will need to take the corpses there. When you are ready I'll call for someone willing to help."

"By your leave, my Grace. We will go as soon as convenient. We have too many unanswered questions waiting to bite us when we leave them alone too long."

"An apt metaphor. One more thing, Lord Valor. He was adamant that Crystal go along. We're not sure how he even knew of her. But it was a requirement."

"Pardon your Grace, but I feel like there's more to this?"

"We do not normally... interact with him. He's been here forever, there's no record of when he arrived. He is considered cursed by all that knows of him. My mother refused to even acknowledge his existence. We also do not know how he knew to invite you nor why he even wanted to."

"He sounds charming." Michael said with a suitable amount of sarcasm.

"We'll see him now, your Grace, if you would be so kind to have someone guide us and help move the remains we need, oh and guide Crystal as well." He checked his bond, "She should be in our rooms."

"At once, Lord Valor."

Sift and Kelek wandered through the city streets, enjoying the sights and sounds. Kelek had never seen so many individuals gathered together before, the immensity was overwhelming at times. Of course, the pair did not take long to find trouble.

"Simple economy it seems, but we should find something of monetary value to trade before we are arrested. Is the glass to your liking? You favor glass objects." Sift said when they found some time to be alone in a side alley, Kelek slightly winded from being chased by their current pursuers.

They quickly found they could not converse in Kelek's tongue while moving through the streets. The startled looks they drew at the beginning of their current outing were enough to keep her silent. Sift would talk for the pair using commonspeak when required, though several still commented on her odd accent and the metallic tone of her voice. Several modulation corrections had been required to modify her voice enough to avoid those questions.

The next hurdle they found while trying to fit in was with Sift's bronze hands. When she lifted one of the wares from a stall to examine it, a bauble that Kelek indicated she was interested in, the shopkeeper exclaimed in fright at her armored hands and immediately called for help. The two adventurers were forced to flee, Kelek finding much humor in the episode which Sift failed to see. They agreed on Kelek handling anything they wished to see, with Sift keeping her hands folded in front of her while speaking for both of them. The arrangement worked for a time.

Their next bit of trouble happened when Kelek indicated she wanted a piece of blown glass, shaped into a delicate butterfly, that sparkled in a rainbow of colors in the afternoon sun. By any measure it was a beautiful piece of fine craftswomanship. The pair turned from the vendor, Kelek pocketing the butterfly carefully in a side pocket, when the shopwoman cried out "Wait, you can't just walk off with that, you have to pay!"

Kelek looked at Sift, let out a playful hiss, and ran. The cry of "Thief" chased after the pair.

That was how they ended up in the side alley, finally alone long enough to speak with each other. "My People cannot work glass in such fashion. The only way a Person can attain something like this is by leaving the tribal lands and braving the world past the borders, the ultimate sign of strength of a hunter. These are highly prized and will bring the envy of others that I have such a collection. I will have enough to ensure a mate of my own."

"You purchase your mating partners?" Much hissing laughs ensued in answer to Sift's question.

"No, friend Sift. Mates are earned through trial and skill. Hunting, strength, and honor are what the People prize the most, the mating goes to those who are the best so the tribe stays strong. Every generation is slightly stronger than the last. My treasures display my prowess."

"Do you miss your People?"

"I miss the tribe, not my People."

"They are not the same?"

"I love the beach but hate the sand."

Sift took a few seconds to process that. "I understand that context now, thank you, friend Kelek. What do you think of the human city so far? I have found many points of data that I am still processing."

"These people are weak and foolish, too active, they even leave their food lying about everywhere." With that said, she bent down to pick up a dead rat from the dirt at their feet, wiped it off to get most of the grit off and bit into the head with a crunching sound. A blood curdling scream sounded from nearby, the two looked out in the street to see a woman pointing in their direction, emitting shrieks and garbled words. She was drawing a crowd.

"Perhaps we should be on our way." Sift said, preparing to flee once again.

Kelek took another bite out of her snack, which was promptly followed by a lot more shrieking and someone vomiting. Kelek hissed out a laugh, losing a little of her bite in the process, then took off running again. "The people are stupid but the city is fun," she said when Sift caught up.

Jebidiah, Michael, Shirley, and Tenner were led to the entrance of a large underground mausoleum, built of very rare marble and granite which should have shone bright in the noon sun. Instead it was dark and dreary, some sort of mold or fungus coated the white expanse, colored more blackish brown with hints of putrid green. It smelled as well. Ghastly. Farrah had elected to stay behind. No one faulted her wish to avoid anything to do with necromancy after her last ordeal.

It did not take long for both Crystal and the corpses to arrive. They left the grisly bundles in the cart they arrived in and made their way down the stairwell, deep into the crypt. Sconces carved into the walls of the stairwell lit before them by some magical means Jebidiah could not detect as they descended the slick stairs. The sconces would light themselves a good fifteen feet in front of them, filled with a sickly green fire that gave enough light to see but no discernable heat, then would extinguish themselves once they were past by an equal distance. It gave Jebidiah the creeps, and Tenner as well if her bond was any indication. but he noticed an odd sort of interest filling Crystal's bond..

The descent was monotonous enough, and with the lighting so controlled and methodical, it was easy to lose sense of both the time and distance they had trod upon the stairs. "Surely this crypt was not built to be this deep." He said more to himself than anyone else.

"There's something off with this, I sense something I cannot put thought to." Shirley's answers surprised him.

"You sense something?"

"I do as well." He stopped when Crystal added her thoughts.

"What do you sense? This situation disturbs me enough. I feel exposed even though we are deep underground." Jebidiah began debating just walking back out of the crypt to see what happened, if they even could.

"It's sort of calming," Crystal answered.

"You find this calming?" Tenner snorted. "This might give me nightmares."

"My sense of direction keeps shifting." Shirley added. "One of the benefits of my curse is a spatial sense of where I am on this plane of existence. It keeps shifting in a way it shouldn't."

Jebidiah added that tidbit of information to his 'review later' bucket. "I have an idea, let's continue down." They resumed their trek but this time Jebidiah pulled out a small dagger and made marks under each sconce they passed. "We'll see how many of these we pass. At twenty we'll turn back and see if anything changes."

They didn't make it to twenty. After he made the tenth mark, the next light showed his mark for the first already there. "We're in a loop." He stopped the group again, stumped. "Let's go back up and see what happens."