No Longer a Game Ch. 07

Jason rubbed his stubble on his chin, "Let's see...you have the oldest which is The Simbul, a human. She is the Witch-Queen of Aglarond and considered the most powerful spell caster in this world and can be unpredictable at times. Then you have Lady Alustriel Silverhand, a moon elf, who rules the moon elf city of Silverymoon and she is a mage also, and kind and wise and a great ruler and loves her people and they love her. Next is Syluné is the kindly Witch of Shadowdale. She was slain by a red dragon but her spirit still exists in Shadowdale. Then there is Dove Falconhand, a human ranger who roams all over this world. Then there is Storm Silverhand another human who is a bard and mage and she also lives in Shadowdale to be close to her sister Sylune who she loved a great deal and went mad with grief for a while after Sylune was killed. Laeral Silverhand Arunsun is a mage who lives in Waterdeep, and the last is Qilué Veladorn, a drow priestess of Eilistraee and serves both the drow goddess and Mystra. She is the youngest of the seven. They are all good aligned but like I said the Simbul is said to be unpredictable and chaotic so she sometimes pushes the boundary of good and evil." Jason paused and took a swallow of his ale, "Thus stuff is not too bad, anyway like I said that's just lore and I doubt they exists."

Natalie decided not to tell him about the female ranger she met who claimed to be Dove Falconhand. They did not need any more distractions. "So they are like goddesses also?"

"No not at really. They can be killed like Sylune was but they are almost immortal as in they don't get old and die and stop aging at a certain age. Being Mystra's Chosen she has empowered them with great abilities and then they have their own like Dove being a ranger she has her ranger abilities and Qilué being a priestess of Eilistraee she had her priest abilities also."

"Oh...so what do you know about Mystra...why aren't you her paladin. She seems cool."

Jason laughed, "Not all the gods have paladins. Mystra is said when she appears she shows herself as a beautiful human female and is said to be very flirtatious, flighty at times but deadly serious when she needs to be. She gets along with most of the other gods in the pantheons...the good aligned ones but has a special relationship with Selune, the moon elf goddess, that is very sisterly and also Eilistraee who regards Mystra smotheringly maternal at times."

"I like her...Mystra...from what you told me about her. She sounds awesome." Natalie said.

Jason laughed and took another drink.

"Thirty gold for each of you and forty for the drow witch." The captain told Ahira.

The dwarf sighed, "No that's robbery. Fifteen for us including the drow. She is a prisoner of a paladin of Tyre and he guarantees she will be no trouble."

Captain Samea removed his flamboyant hat and laughed, "My good dwarf, I could give a shark's cock about what a paladin promises. The Mistral is the best ship on the seas and the fastest. Why it made it through the Wasting Abyss in less than two days and I did not lose a single crewman or my cargo."

"'Cuse me, Captain, it took us three days and we lost Ivid." The Halfling corrected the captain.

"Bah...it was two days and Ivad died of scurvy and had nothing to do with the waters of the abyss, Lotholi."

The Halfling chuckled, "Yes captain."

"So it's twenty five gold each and thirty five for the drow." Samera offered Ahira.

"Twenty for us and twenty-five for the drow, Captain Solo." Ahira counter offered.

The captain was about to correct the dwarf on his name when he saw a very beautiful moon elf walk in the tavern. He watched her as she paused and then made her way to the bar and started talking with the dwarf's paladin companion.

"She one of your?" The Captain asked.

Ahira turned and saw Natalie and turned back to the captain, "Yes she is one of our companions."

Samera smiled, "Tell you what, my good dwarf, fifteen gold for you and your companions, twenty for the drow, the elf girl for free if she agrees to spend the three nights it takes us to get the Athkatla in my cabin."

Ahira felt anger build up inside him and he saw the Halfling notice and the first mate's hand moved to a long dagger at his belt. The dwarf figured he could easily kill the small Halfling, who he knew as a rogue besides the captain's first mate, but he calmed himself and let common sense take over. They were not here to fight; they were here to get home.

"No." Ahira said firmly. "That is not even on the table. Twenty gold for us and Twenty five for the drow and that's my last offer."

The captain grinned charmingly, "A shame but yes a deal. We set sail for Athkatla in the morning tide. Don't be late because we won't wait and I expect payment in full before you board my ship."

Ahira nodded and the two shook hands. As the dwarf stood up he leaned to the Halfling, "You ever try and pull that toothpick on me again you will be missing a hand." He whispered.

Captain Samera laughed and patted his first mate on his shoulder, "Don't test that one, Lotholi, cause by Talos I think he not only means it but he can do it. You should know never threaten a dwarf."

Lotholi glared at Ahira as he walked to join his companions at the bar, "True, Sir, but never underestimate a knife in the back or a good poison."

Samera laughed again, "By the sea, I never knew why the crew elected you as first mate, but by the gods you do make life more interesting."

****************************************************************************

"So we good?" Natalie asked Ahira when we came up to the bar.

"Yes, cost more than I wanted but it was the best we were going to get. No other ship would take the drow."

"We could leave her." Natalie added and noticed the hard stares from her two male companions, "I was teasing...gesh."

"So what's he like...our captain?" Jason asked.

"He's a smuggler that's for sure and maybe does some piracy on the side. He's arrogant, seems frivolous and good natured but don't let that fool you. I got the sense he can fight and fight well. He likes to laugh a lot and joke and fancies himself a ladies man. I don't trust him but damn if I don't like him." Ahira laughed. "It's his first mate you should be careful of through. I think he would slit our throats while we sleep if we are not careful. The passage includes two cabins, one for the males and one for the females and I suggest we rotate in shifts who will keep watch. Natalie you let Rain and Christie know about that. One of you needs to be awake at all times and sleep in shifts.

Natalie nodded and looked at the captain and noticed he was staring at her. She blushed when he raised his mug in her direction and she thought he was looking at her as if he could see the color of her panties...if she was wearing any.

Jason, Ahira, and Natalie made it back to the inn a few hours after sundown. Jason and Ahira found Lou still writing in his spell book and they could tell he had not eaten anything since that morning. Natalie walked in her room and saw Rain was playing with her long kukri, twirling it and testing its balance. Natalie did not like that knife at all. She could not only sense strong magic from it but also something evil.

Christie was lying on the bed asleep. She wrinkled her nose, a habit she brought over from the other side when she smelled or tasted anything unpleasant.

"God, why did you leave the window open. It stinks in here." Natalie closed the window and looked at Christie. "How long has she been asleep?"

Rain did not look up as she played with her blade, "Oh...umm maybe an hour or so...she drank too much wine."

It was not really a lie but close. Christie drank a lot of wine but her and Rain also had sex almost all afternoon and into the early evening. The drow was insatiable.

"Well I am beat. I am sorry you two were stuck in the room. That must have sucked."

Rain blushed, "Was not too bad." She felt very guilty. She also felt very confused. Was she gay or straight or bi? Or maybe since she was female on this side she was straight, she did not know but she knew she was attracted to men more so than women. The sex was fantastic, there was no doubt about that and they had a lot of sex, but she really did not care much for giving Christie oral sex; it was not bad but she did not enjoy it as much as Christie seemed to enjoy giving oral to her female sex organ.

Natalie filled Rain in on the ship and the captain and his first mate and took off her clothes and put on a long shirt similar to Christie's and went to bed.