Doing good ain’t got no end 10APR21
22
APR/21
New Chapter: The White Palm Oasis
The rescue of the caravan:
Oni and the others gathered near house Whitehall. Pakku was waiting for them just outside the gate, ”you guys ready for another ride. I have you mounts saddled and ready.” Oni slowly walked up hoping he would travel with the only family he had left, “You going with us?” Pakku laughed a little, “you know the answer.” He looked back to the city. Small smoke plums were still rising in the distance, “I have responsibilities here.” They mounted up and the Pegasi started to take off. Oni felt very uncomfortable. He killed someone the last time he was on one of these. He wished Herman was here. He missed him.
They took flight. Oni was not sure, but they seemed to be heading north. He was holding on tighter than his mount preferred. His mount often jerked or reached back to nip at him. Oni noticed that he was the only one having this level of trouble. David and Mar’iya took to the flying with ease. It made him angry as he looked at Mar’iya. He knew that beast could fly, “fly so why would he care.” He remembered back when he was studying magic, he could have studied Feather Fall, but decided he would not need it. Great forethought he abused himself with.
Smoke could be seen off to the east. David flew off with great skill to check it out. Oni was just hoping they could finish their flight so he could get his feet on the ground. David looked as if he looped as he headed back. He flew up into the middle of their flight, “Looks like a caravan being attacked by masked bandits in black.” Oni wanted to be on the ground so bad, “we should help them.” Mar’iya always the pragmatist, “our dealings are at the Oasis of the White Palm.” Oni looked at him, and jerked his mount towards the caravan, “by the dawn, doing good has no end.” His companions followed him as the headed east. Oni wanted to do good deeds, but he was purloining to himself and the others.
Oni looked north as they headed east. He could see a tremor in the sand. He studied it. It looked huge. He hoped it was Thunderherders, but it was too much, even for a large herd. Mar’iya flew past in his purple armor and he knew what was coming. He looked back to see two of the purple sand vermin dive into the sand. Oni yelled over the wind of flight, “purple worms heading to the noise.” Oni kicked his mount and flew hard towards the fight. The others seeing the danger all sped up to match Oni. Ixen changed to fly towards the worms.
Oni landed and leaped from his mount. Arnia followed him as they charged the crossbow line on one side. Some of the wagons were already burning. The men around the wagons fought hard but were being overrun by the githanti bandits. Oni did his normal plan and charged into the center of them to draw them to him. In the future he would need to stop thinking of this as a plan. He was quickly surrounded by three of them. Arnia moving slightly slower moved up into a flanking position. David and Ixen stayed in flight to harass and attack the bandits. Mar’iya was the intelligence officer of the team. He silently came in from the north end of the caravan to check out the wagons.
Ixen flew off to the west a little trying to distract the worms. It may have worked a little, but they were heading to the fight. Mar’iya’s eyes flared as he looked into the wagon. Slaves were chained to the wagon floor. We were saving slavers. He saw one of the non-human bandits and yelled, “we did not know.” He rushed across the battlefield to let the group know. By the time he was able to warn them that they were slavers, Oni had already killed three of them. Oni was moving in, yelling orders to warn what he thought was a caravan of the impending purple worm attack. Just as he and everyone else understood their mistake the worms burst into the middle of the slavers.
Oni and his friends engaged the worms. They tried to get the bandits to fall back into safer locations. Oni charged up to become a good target. He was too good of a target and was dropped right next to one of the purple worms. David like a flying weapons platform, flew by chopping away at the worm beasts. Arnia ran up to Oni and healed him just before he was about to be eaten. The battle changed the bandit’s minds but by the end only one still stood. He called himself Sitian. The rest had perished in the fight. The rest, after Oni had killed several.
After the fight they freed the slaves and made camp. The last of the bandits left. He was heading back to the Oasis alone. Oni had hoped they had made peace with the man. Mar’iya made sure he knew we were planning on being there the next day. David and Ixen gathered what was left of the camels. Oni gave the children his last four dolls. He knew he would need to make new ones soon. He went to the top of some rocks for setup the first watch. He longed for his buddy again. Mar’iya and Arnia started to harvest the purple worn.
That night was nice. They found a warm rock wall to make camp within its shadow. They setup makeshift tents to hide them from her prying eyes. The slaves that survived ate, drink and slept in the wagons. They made a small fire to cook some of the meat and smoke more for the next day. Once the fresh meat started to hit the lips of the slaves, their voices became free to speak. Tales and stories flowed like water from a fountain.
Oni watched as Mar’iya and David relieved them of the only thing they had left, information. They brought these slaves into the group and created a false camaraderie with them. They were the marks in this game. Oni looked off as he was not a player in this game. His role was in battle, and hope. He would bring in Lathander’s dawns and try to build a durable future. They would work this crowd like pieces of the game board. They were masters of people. Oni smiled watching a macushla little curly haired girl play with one of his dolls. She was adorable even with her dirty matted curls pressed against her face.
They told them all about Shiek Kassim Arslon. He was holding on to his rule of the oasis, but snake cultists were threatening the control he held. Corga their current pray was holding some princess that was promised to his son Hassan. They the slaves were loyalists, that were being sold by the snake cult. It looks like Set was working here as well. Oni sensed that the Shiek falsely believed he was still secure in his control. It seems Arnia and Ixen had some interaction with Corga. She was the holder of a giant green gem. Oni felt it was the one of the gems he desired. It was the wrong one though. They should be seeking the blue gem.
Oni watched and listened until near dusk. He left the fire to make a walk around the camp. Two wagons left. They were prison wagons so they would need some modification so the slaves would not feel chained into them again. Two camels, one looked strong and the other was a little dried out. Oni had no special knowledge about beasts of burden, but he thought it would make it. Three dead giant worms littered the area. large tracts of them had been removed and added to one of the wagons. That should be some valuable trade goods for these folks to start up again. As the cool night air started to come into the camp, steam poured off the worms. By morning the entire area would be filled with carrion and scavengers. The smell would start to fill the area for weeks.
Oni went up to each of the rock outcroppings on each side of camp. As night came the wind would pick up and start to blow sand with it. The sand pebbled his skin as bits embedded into his hair. As he looked out to the northwest, there seemed to be less sand then normal. He wanted to bring these folks home. He was trying to find every spot of danger but could not see any. Was he missing the doom for tomorrow? He went back down to lay his head down. David and Mar’iya no longer needed him for watch but he always took it anyway. His was just before the dawn. Sleep came fast, dreams never came.
The meeting with the Sheik:
Oni woke for his watch. Like most evening he waited in the shadows until the dawn. He moved out into that dawn. He looked off to the largest of the rock formations. The sun was up, the Morninglord was present, but the moon stared at him. He could never know the risk. He looked at it knowing it was too late if he was spotted, “fuck you, you evil bitch.” As he was going through his forms, he stopped in the middle of his deepest meditation to pray. “Ho my morning lord. I miss and worry for Herman so much. I hope he is not angry with me. Even if you cannot mend my heart and bring him back to me, please protect him wherever he is. As the Dawn heals, let this be healed as well.” His eyes opened, his balance as completely off, He fell from the rock and landed with a thug into the sand.
David and Ixen took flight to scout and act as guides in the sand. Oni Mar’iya, and Arnia traveled on the ground with the wagons and the former slaves. Oni felt good being grounded as he was. He had not taken to flight at all, and this felt so much better. By the dawn, people were designed to be on the ground. If the gods wanted them to fly, they would have given them wings. He eyes and thoughts went to Mar’iya, “well I guess the gods have given him wings.” He laughed to himself as they walked north-northwest towards the Oasis.
David veered off to the west. He saw a small sandstorm, but the wind did not support the devils of sand in the air. He went until he could see the green scales of a winged beast. A dragon for pillowing in the dunes. He dropped fast, turned and headed back towards the caravan. He was scared. He looked at Oni walking with the caravan. He would not burden him with this news. He knew Oni would try to drub that creature if he could. Oni would charge to his own death, if it meant doing the “good deed.” David was having no part of that. He would continue to scout the west and watch for the green beast. He never took to great heights again for the rest of the trip.
About mid-day David moved us off to the east a little. The group routed off the trail they had been following. The former slaves became concerned. They knew the route back to the oasis and wanted to know why they split off the trail. Each of them started to whinge. Oni was trying to convince them, that David had reasons. They were about to stop, when a yell came from the front of the caravan. The voice came in, “fresh grass ahead.” Oni ran to see it. Just over a small rise was a small field of fresh green grass. It felt as soft as the grass at the oasis so long ago. The camels started to eat this fresh foliage. Ixen landed nearby, “make sure they do not eat it all.”
Oni sat in the green grass. It felt good. This was new. Oni ran his hand across it as his looked up to the sun. Was this his work? He imagined the better world that was already starting to heal. It filled him with joy and more importantly hope. This small patch green was hope for the future, and hope that they would again have a world worth living in. He closed his eyes, letting the sun’s light come through his eyelids with a warm glow. He smiled with his hope even as he knew their quest was a hydra. Each time they make one thing better, they uncover more work to be done.
With the camels’ stomachs full of fresh grass, they turned a little west. They arrived at the oasis in the late afternoon. The slaves offered to find a space in the corrals for their mounts. They offered to take the group around, but meeting with the sheik was first and foremost. The caravan took the wagons and the mounts off to corral. Oni and the others headed to a main tent.
The Sheik’s tent was more like a colorful pavilion. One of the caravan slave survivors guided them up to the main entrance. Oni scanned the guards. He looked them head to toe. Both were strong for the desert. Their weapons were well oiled. These two have practiced their weapon draws for a long time. Oni knew he could take them, but they would be seriously challenging opponents. He hoped it would not come to that. Oni was one of the last to walk into the tent. As he walked by these two guards, he spoke to them, “May the dawns give you hope my friends.” Neither guard shifted nor moved. Oni gave them a small blessing whether they wanted it or not.
Mar’iya and David were already engaged in conversation as Oni entered. Just inside the tent were two more guards. He looked at them and these two were a little better than the two outside. This sheik had good help within his tent. If need be, Oni would drub these two, and in the name of goodness, “may the dawns give you hope my friends.” Oni almost strolled up to everyone else. He knew it was best to let those two do most of the talking in these situations. He would make sure they would be able to leave the tent, that was his job. If Herman were here, he would ask him to watch outside. He looked for a second way out as he prayed again for his little buddy.
Oni had finished his job. He knew how they would need to fall out of the tent if this conversation went to Tiamat. Mar’iya was already mostly through the story of how they came to arrive in the Oasis of the White Palm, “we saved your people and guided them back here.” Oni was still only processing part of the conversation. The Sheik retorted that his soldier, his only surviving soldier came back and said they had attacked them, “My surviving man, says you attacked them.” Mar’iya and David did not react but within them they both shifted uncomfortably. Oni knowing, they would bend this into something not quite true and believing only the truth can bring the hopeful future he now desires, he brusquely interrupted, “That is true as well. We killed several of your men before we understood completely.” He looked over to Arnia and remembering the day, “actually I killed most of them. You have traveled the desert; you know sometime quick decisions must be made. We were wrong.”
The sheik was now going to arrest them. Oni did not have the heart to tell him that they were not going to be arrested this day. Maybe tomorrow but not today. He moved his staff to the ground just on the outside of his right foot. He was preparing to level these guys. He was hoping it did not need to, but Oni was going to get his people out of this tent if need be. Mar’iya and David used their combined personal influence to convince the Sheik and his son Hassan of their intent to help. It took some time, but this changed into a discussion of the problems within the oasis and how they were free to investigate.
As Mar’iya layered on the blarney, Oni went back into a more restful position. He now scanned the sheik and his son. What kind of threat would they be? He was still talking to the two, “I would be most grateful if you could help me.” Oni noticed the stone in his head wrapping. It was the most amazing crystal he had ever seen. It was so perfect it glowed. It was a treasure beyond a treasure. Oni looked about the room, but never stopped to stare. He was drawn to it. It was like a dawn within the room. He wanted it but could not reveal his interest. David and Mar’iya had made arrangements for them to have a place to sleep. They would be given a tent within the tent village. As they left the Sheik and his son, Oni tapped his temple for Mar’iya.
Mar’iya opening internal communication with Oni: “what is it?”
Oni: “did you see the crystal?”
Mar’iya: “no, where?”
Oni: “in the sheik’s head wrap.
Mar’iya: “what about it?”
Oni: “I think it meets your description for your protection device. I think we should still keep that between us by the way. We do not want another Selise situation.”
Mar’iya: “Agreed. Where should we go tomorrow. That sheik does not know where this crypt is located.”
Oni: “one of the slaves told me about some ruins on the southern end of the oasis. If I was a crypt, I would be in ruins.”
Mar’iya: “makes sense.”
Oni: “unless something else reveals itself, I think we will go to the ruins.”
They headed back to the tent. They entire group spent the rest of the evening preparing for sleep and the next day. David and Mar’iya would take all the watches, but each other person joined for one of the three. Oni would take the dawn watch as he always did. After a good common meal within the oasis, sleep came fast for Oni. His eyes closed before his hit the ground. The walk through the desert must have been more tiring than he thought as he woke for his watch and never even stirred before that. He had a strange copper taste in his mouth.
He was about to pop up when Oni noticed Herman curled up in the crock of his neck. A warm feeling came over him. He was so glad to see him. What a glorious surprise finding his little buddy. He gently picked Herman up trying to let him sleep. Herman started to move and stretch in his hand. Oni ran his hand over him his outer shell. It felt scarred. He could not tell for sure in the darkness, but his fingers found a couple of ridges that could only have been a wound. As Herman woke, he popped his shell and hummed, just as he always had. The vibrations were slightly out of tune, but they were together, and Oni did not care.
Oni’s voice cracked with way more excitement than he wanted, or expected, “hey little buddy, I am so glad you are here.” He stood and fell out of balance for a second as he did. It took his inner ear a moment to find its right center. As he found that center, he saw Mar’iya staring at him. Mar’iya normal stoic look had a small amount of menace laced into it. Oni thought he would need to ask about that later. Once spotted Mar’iya turned his gaze to scan the oasis again. Oni moved up near him but gave a large enough gap to talk to Herman in private.
Over the next couple of hours they shared their separate adventures. Oni told him about the flight of the Pegasi, and the chaos of Raam. He shared about the snake priest. He told him about how Arnia had changed and joined them in their struggle. Herman told Oni all about his adventures as well. He told him more about the Nexus then any familiar typically shares. It is often seen as private place for them, and not a realm for their master’s knowledge. Herman explained all about the problems and who the owl was within the Nexus. Oni was not sure how much was real and how much was a fantasy his little buddy was telling to explain the time away. As the sun rose, he could now see several scars on Herman. It gave Herman’s stories an explicitness that made Oni ponder the meaning of his world and the possibility of all the worlds.
Oni was about to head out into the dawn to train and pray. Mar’iya opened his mental connection, “what in the five hells happened last night?” Oni still almost giddy looked at him as he spoke in his mind, “I have no idea. I slept through the night like a rock in the sand.” Mar’iya hummed in his mind, “no you did not. Herman showed up in the middle of the night. You talked to him briefly and went back to sleep.” Mar’iya as if thinking about what to share or how to share it, “then three animals came from you. A smallish bird, lizard, and a strange small mammal.” The two men stared at each over. Oni broke the silence, “I guess I was so tired I did not notice.” Oni’s giddiness ended as he went out to meditate and train. He would need to ask Herman about it. He was scared of the answers.