{"id":3940,"date":"2016-08-01T00:01:59","date_gmt":"2016-08-01T04:01:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=3940"},"modified":"2016-08-09T07:39:13","modified_gmt":"2016-08-09T11:39:13","slug":"return-faith-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/return-faith-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"The Return of Faith, Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

Return of Faith
\n<\/strong>A Story by Michael DeAngelo
\n-Part Two-<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cEvery single time,\u201d the young lady bemoaned.\u00a0 \u201cNo matter how many times I try to bring my forces against you, or what strategies I employ, I never win!\u201d<\/p>\n

The woman across the table flashed a wry grin as she twisted the quartz crystal that hung from the leather cord against her bosom.\u00a0 \u201cStrategy and numbers mean nothing against such a dependable force.\u00a0 My team has been traveling together for some time, and as important as victory is for me, their true strength lies in the bonds they\u2019ve made over the years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou\u2019re a strange one, Shazra,\u201d the young lady teased.\u00a0 \u201cYou act as though the faces on those medallions are living a life of their own.\u00a0 They\u2019re just toys.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Kradun, toys do not earn someone a living,\u201d Shazra said with a smile.\u00a0 The well-dressed woman extended her hand, displaying her palm as those delicate fingers uncurled.<\/p>\n

Her opponent shook her head and blew out an annoyed sigh.\u00a0 As her hand slipped off the table, she furrowed her brow.\u00a0 \u201cYou know, a lot of people play this game simply for the fun of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMiss Kradun\u2013\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, spare me your good manners.\u00a0 You just trounced me like you\u2019ve known me for years.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFine,\u201d Shazra smiled.\u00a0 \u201cDiane\u2026What part of my victory don\u2019t you think I found fun?\u201d<\/p>\n

A sneer was cast her way, but the small leather pouch landed in her waiting hand, regardless.\u00a0 \u201cWhat do you plan on doing with that?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cPerhaps a few more medallions are in order.\u00a0 My champions could use some new equipment\u2014and maybe even a new friend or two.\u201d<\/p>\n

Diane rose from her seat in the tavern\u2019s veranda.\u00a0 \u201cYou could do to get another one for yourself,\u201d the younger competitor teased again.\u00a0 She tapped her companion on the shoulder and swept her medallions \u2013 the ones that had been flipped over in defeat \u2013 into her bag.<\/p>\n

Shazra stood and offered a polite bow.\u00a0 \u201cIf you want to make another attempt at my crown, I\u2019ll be back in Sungarden in a few months.\u00a0 That should give you plenty of time to upgrade your collection.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, no,\u201d Diane scoffed.\u00a0 \u201cHalf my money goes to purchasing these medallions.\u00a0 But a fat lot of good that does me when I lose the other half to you, anyway!\u00a0 No, next time we meet here, I\u2019ll be using that money to buy myself a good meal, and that\u2019ll be the end of it.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThat would be more than acceptable,\u201d Shazra replied.\u00a0 She reached forward and pulled her frequent opponent into a warm embrace.\u00a0 \u201cUntil next time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUntil next time,\u201d Diane said.\u00a0 She kissed her companion on the cheek and then cinched her bag shut.\u00a0 Without any further delay, she sped toward the door.<\/p>\n

Alone, Shazra took a moment to bask in the glow of victory.\u00a0 The smell of the tavern\u2019s brunch meals overtook her then \u2013 eggs and sausage, biscuits and gravy, all mixing to form a delicious aroma she had somehow ignored until that moment.\u00a0 Her eyes navigated to that newly acquired pouch of coins, but she shook her head after considering opening it.<\/p>\n

One by one, the woman stacked the medallions with one gentle motion after another.\u00a0 The pictures of the kaja thief, the kobold hunter, the dedicated orc, and human warriors were pulled together before she tied a length of purple thread up and around the pile.<\/p>\n

\u201cLeaving so soon, dear?\u201d came a voice from behind her.<\/p>\n

Shazra turned to see the kind old face of the establishment\u2019s owner.\u00a0 \u201cHello, Jerome.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t expect to finish in such a hurry either, but we surprised ourselves today.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd I can\u2019t convince you to stay for a bite or two?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know I\u2019d love to.\u00a0 But there are more funds to add to the old war chest,\u201d she joked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, of course.\u00a0 Where to next?\u00a0 Viscosa?\u00a0 Atalatha?\u201d<\/p>\n

She shrugged.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019m not sure.\u00a0 I hear there\u2019s a new town coming together not far from here.\u00a0 Just a few days north on foot\u2014far less if I can hitch a ride on a carriage.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIf it\u2019s where I think it is, I don\u2019t think they\u2019d have what you were looking for.\u00a0 Nobody plays your little game there.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNot yet,\u201d Shazra said.\u00a0 \u201cBut with a little convincing, some may start.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBreeding your own challengers now, eh?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the only way to grow stronger.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jerome nodded.\u00a0 \u201cWell, if you ever need a place to stay, the Silver Lily will always accommodate you.\u201d<\/p>\n

Shazra bowed again.\u00a0 \u201cYour generosity is always astounding.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I always choose this establishment to mount my victories.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cTo the many more you are bound to have,\u201d the owner said.\u00a0 He pulled her into a tight embrace and kissed her on the cheek.\u00a0 Jerome parted from her and continued along his path, cleaning the tables that had been occupied that morning.<\/p>\n

Alone with her thoughts and her medallions, Shazra nodded.\u00a0 Gathering all of her belongings, the woman turned to the entrance of the tavern.\u00a0 She clutched the quartz amulet that hung above her breasts and smiled.\u00a0 \u201cYou have done well, my champions.\u00a0 Help is on the way.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

*\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 *<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

In that field, covered in the blood of their enemies, Pomir heard the familiar whisper on the wind.\u00a0 The kobold worked at making a poultice while Fe\u2019Pavi and Ste\u2019Narl nursed their wounds.<\/p>\n

His friend, the knight of Gardone, plucked the few items of value off of his felled foes and turned about to his friends.\u00a0 \u201cWe were lucky Shazra sent us that ankh a few weeks back,\u201d Benton said.\u00a0 \u201cYou wouldn\u2019t be standing here, my friend.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s a smart one,\u201d the kaja cooed.\u00a0 \u201cHe knew what he was doing.\u00a0 And because of bravery like that \u2013 standing in the face of danger! \u2013 we\u2019ve found victory once again for our lady.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ste\u2019Narl offered a weary nod.\u00a0 \u201cShe somehow knew where to send us, and we found the forces that threatened this land.\u00a0 By the gods, our lady is good.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAye, the lady is good,\u201d Benton agreed.\u00a0 \u201cBut let us hope Pomir\u2019s poultice is better.\u00a0 You\u2019ve got a nasty injury there, and I\u2019d like to see us get back to the keep before it gets infected.\u201d<\/p>\n

The revived kobold stood and reached the wounded orc, slathering the fresh poultice on the puncture.<\/p>\n

\u201cGah, that smells like troll dung,\u201d Ste\u2019Narl protested.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou don\u2019t look much better than it, Sten,\u201d Fe\u2019Pavi teased.<\/p>\n

Pomir grabbed the orc\u2019s hand and placed it against the dressing.\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t take it off.\u00a0 This thing might be all that keeps you alive until we get to the keep.\u201d\u00a0 He slapped it for good measure, inciting a growl from the stern orc.\u00a0 Pomir rose and turned to the lone human among their group.\u00a0 \u201cBenton, walk with me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The knight tried his best to hide his concern, but he did as instructed and followed the kobold into the tall grass where Kradun lay amongst the fallen.\u00a0 \u201cIs everything all right, my friend?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs fine as can be expected, considering the opposition we fought against.\u201d\u00a0 Pomir shook his head before looking at the tips of his boots.\u00a0 \u201cYou need to know something, lad.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have the ankh with me.\u00a0 That is to say\u2026I don\u2019t remember having it on my body \u2013 the only way it would have worked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what are you saying, Pomir?\u00a0 It just ended up in your tunic without you realizing it?\u201d<\/p>\n

The kobold shook his head, his floppy, furry ears waving in the breeze.\u00a0 \u201cI think it was Shazra.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShazra?\u201d Benton echoed.\u00a0 \u201cShe\u2019s a hundred miles away.\u00a0 There\u2019s at least three days between us.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI know, I know,\u201d Pomir said.\u00a0 \u201cWe\u2019ve always questioned the faith Fee and Sten put in her.\u00a0 But\u2026Something is different now.\u00a0 I died, Benton.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t just fall down and pass out.\u00a0 I was on the edge of something final.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSo what\u2026You think Shazra is some kind of goddess now?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know what to think, my friend,\u201d the kobold admitted.\u00a0 \u201cBut the world is not as simple as I believed it was yesterday.\u201d\u00a0 He blew out a sigh, as though he knew what he spoke of would be received with incredulity.\u00a0 \u201cAnd our friends here will not walk from here to the keep.\u00a0 We need to find some other manner of transportation for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ll get a wagon from a nearby village,\u201d Benton said.<\/p>\n

\u201cAgreed.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you stay here with them?\u00a0 With all that armor, you won\u2019t make it very far in any short amount of time.\u00a0 And Sten needs all the time he can get.\u201d<\/p>\n

The knight nodded and clapped his friend on the shoulder.\u00a0 \u201cI\u2019ll keep them safe.\u00a0 You watch your back in the meantime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pomir swung his bow over his shoulder and burst into a sprint, back toward the forest they emerged from.\u00a0 For the first time in as long as he could remember, he had something real to believe in.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Return of Faith A Story by Michael DeAngelo -Part Two-   \u201cEvery single time,\u201d the young lady bemoaned.\u00a0 \u201cNo matter how many times I try to bring my forces against you, or what strategies I employ, I never win!\u201d The woman across the table flashed a wry grin as she twisted the quartz crystal that […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146],"tags":[1081,1152,1390,1387,149,1391],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Short-Story-Panel.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-11y","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3940"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3940"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3940\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3941,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3940\/revisions\/3941"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3940"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3940"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3940"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}