“Ya know it’s almost night,” wondered Jamce aloud and then he said,” I’m not in the mood for another night in the woods. I say we hunker down here ‘til daybreak, agreed?” asked Jamce.
“Agreed,” said Dorama and Saycha in unison.
“What we could do, considering we’ve got enough supplies for the next few weeks, is have a little fun with the money we no longer need, right?” asked Jamce as he poured the coins out onto the table.
“Right,” said Dorama and Saycha again in unison.
Jamce handed them each 9 coins and he took 8. They walked over to the center of town where there were several tables lit by torches where they had different games set up for people to play. On the 1st table there was a spinning wheel with a shelf of piled up coins below it. What you had to do was drop your coin in the wheel at just the right moment to cause it to knock the pile of coins over. If you did, you won all the coins it knocked over. There were three chairs for people to sit in at the table and all three people could play at the same time, alternating turns.
“This looks like a fun one, let’s take our chances,” said Saycha as he sat down.
“Fine by me,” said Dorama as she sat down beside Saycha.
“I think I’ll just watch for a few minutes. I want to get a feel for it,” said Jamce as he stood behind Dorama and crossed his arms.
Saycha dropped in a coin and missed the pile of coins. Then Dorama dropped in hers and she missed, but just barely. Then a handsome dark haired man in a green vest with a white shirt sat down beside Saycha and asked,” Do you mind if I join you for a game?”
“No not at all, we’d love a little company,” said Dorama as she tossed her hair back.
“Oh of course, maybe you’ll bring a little luck,” said Saycha.
“I’ll try, but I’ve never played this one before. My name’s Trock and you would be?” asked Trock as he sat down.
“I’m Dorama, he’s Saycha, and the man lurking behind is Jamce. We’re just passing through.”
Trock nodded, dropped in a coin and missed the pile. Saycha went and then Dorama and they both missed.
Meanwhile Jamce had been watching intently trying to figure it out. Then all three went another round and all missed again. Jamce said boldly,” I’ve figured it out. Let me show you.”
Jamce took one of his coins and dropped it in the wheel and knocked over the pile of coins.
He shouted,” You got to spend money to win money, spend, spend, spend, win, win, win MONEY!” He grabbed the coins and counted them and he had a 101 coins (so many he could barely carry them).
Dorama laughed and said,” Well at least someone won. I was beginning to worry.”
“You know I have a friend who’s having a party tonight. Would you like to come?” asked Trock.
“Sure, why not I love a soiree,” said Saycha as he danced a few steps.
“Thanks, Trock, we would love it,” said Jamce as he nodded.
They followed Trock over to a small hut just outside of town. There were two couples standing outside sipping bourbon from silver chalices. Another man was standing with his back to them, and they could see he was relieving himself. Then the man turned and said boldly,” Just had to see a man about a Palant, don’t mind me.”
The man fell into a bush and passed out.
Saycha and Dorama laughed at the man and Trock said,” No relation I assure you.”
“I wish I could claim the same,” said Jamce sarcastically with a laugh.
They walked inside and saw an elderly man in a pair of long johns sitting alone inside and no one else. The room was bare with only a chair, a rug, and a fireplace. On the walls there was only a painting of a sunrise with the shadow of a man on the left side of the painting. They looked at the man not knowing what to think. The old man turned to them and said,” The party’s in the ground,” then he pointed to the maple credenza. The credenza had six cubby holes and two pane glass doors. It also had two drawers and four cabinets. All the handles had the face of Luckster (Luckster is a renowned trouble maker from the underworld. He has long ears, a bulbous nose, and a mischievous smile.
There is also little gold pewter figurines scattered around on its counter.
“Well,” said Saycha as he shrugged his shoulders.
“Well is right,” said Dorama in disbelief.
They walked over to the credenza and looked it over. Trock asked,” What do we do now?”
“If you can’t figure out how to get in, you’re not invited,” said the old man.
Everyone looked at each other perplexed. Saycha walked up to the credenza and started searching for a handle. He opened all the drawers and cabinets and found nothing. He picked up
one of the figurines and as he did the credenza split in half, revealing a torch lit stone staircase behind it. There could be heard singing and merrymaking down the staircase.
“That was easy,” said Saycha gleefully.
“Easy he says,” said Dorama.
Above the doorway was a sign that read,” We Guessed” Everyone smiled after seeing it and descended the stairs. As they got closer to the bottom they could hear uproarious laughter and singing. At the bottom of the stairs was an opening with a burgundy curtain draped in front of it.
Trock went to pull the curtain back and it slung open revealing a room filled with people who yelled hello.
“This should be fun,” said Saycha as he walked into the room.
“Let’s hope,” said Jamce as he followed.
The room was large and in the shape of a P. It had 11 foot ceilings with a pair of Palant heads at either end of the room. It was just one room, but had several areas divided with thick black curtains. There was a heavy smell of wine, Xstepys and Cory tongues. In the first area they went into there was a man playing a banjo and another on the violin. There were several two person chairs arranged in a circle around the musicians, with tables that had Yeha cakes, blueberry Guros, and bottles of wine. People were dancing the Aahh dance (which involved moving your arms slowly from right to left, then shaking them above your head. While you did that you jumped from side to side then did three kicks per leg, all this while alternating from a smile to a frown). It was very popular among the Beba.
Jamce immediately started doing the Aahh dance and Trock did as well. Saycha and Dorama danced a little, but gave each other a look that meant they should keep looking around. Saycha and Dorama then went through another curtain and saw a sunken table made out of mahogany,
with a dozen twelve inch odd statues on top of it. There was also a painting of Lord Beba on the wall, showing him smoking a pipe with two chambers and dressed in a flowing white cape.
There hanging from the ceiling was a chandelier filled with lit candles and had a silk rose bouquet hanging from its center.
Saycha and Dorama walked in and there was a man and a woman sitting at the table, but they were just getting up to leave. Saycha and Dorama walked over and sat down at the table across from each other and started inspecting the statues. The one Saycha was looking at was of Obalesh the Green (a wizard from the Pomem reign).
Obalesh was a wizard who had the power to summon up the fires of hell with a wave of his wand. He could also shape shift and literally become anything at anytime. But his greatest power was his gaze as he could cripple an enemy will with only a look. He disappeared at the end of the Pomem reign and was never heard from again. He was called Obalesh the Green because of his flowing green hair and beard, but also because he once turned a king into a steaming pile of green Palant crap, or so the legend goes.
Saycha inspected the statue and looked closely at the eyes. Then his heart skipped a beat. He saw the eyes come to life and blink. The statue said sternly,” Keep him away from me!”
“What?” asked Saycha as he set down the statue and stood up quickly.
“Whoa, it’s alive,” said Dorama as she lurched forward to examine the statue.
The statue started to come to life and its legs and arms started moving. Obalesh said angrily,” Keep that monster as far away from me as your mortal spirit will let you!”
“Who are you?” asked Dorama as she stared at the statue.
“I am the wizard Obalesh the Green and the man you have dangling from your neck is an abomination, an absolute terror and should be done away with immediately!”
Saycha walked a few steps forward and as he did Obalesh cringed. He stepped back and asked,” Wait, it’s ok, but do you know who’s inside this medallion? Better yet, do you know Fert Anvey?”
The statue started to crumble and Obalesh the Green grew out of the rubble to 3 hands taller than Saycha. Obalesh said,” I know not of Fert Anvey, but the man inside that medallion is Sest Moncry.”
As he said this the medallion started to glow yellow and hum loudly. Then it stopped glowing and the humming got quieter.
“Who is Sest Moncry?” asked Saycha.
Obalesh looked at Saycha and said boldly,” Sest Moncry was and is a wizard of the Missing Light, or to put it another way, he only uses magic that hurts others or Himself. He has no concern for decency or morality! Every breath he draws is an evil breath, every thought a thought that putts people in peril! Sest Moncry should be destroyed and his name stricken from history!”
Dorama and Saycha looked at the Obalesh in terror, not knowing what to make of what he had said. Dorama asked,” Where did the medallion come from and how did he end up inside?”
Obalesh looked away quickly and then said coldly,” That medallion, known as the Medallion of Believe, is a gatherer of evil. 10,000 years ago, before either of you drew breath that medallion was created by the great blue wizard Cominie, from a crystal that fell from the sky. Cominie poured all of his anger, lust, and greed into fashioning that medallion in the hopes of using it for terrible ends. Once he had finished molding the crystal and attaching the golden rope chain, the medallion began to pulse and a swirling tornado erupted from inside it,” said Obalesh coldly as his hand shook and then he continued,” It began sucking everything in the
room into the swirling winds! All of Cominie’s stolen wands and staffs and chests of gold were consumed by the medallion. Then his entire castle was quickly no more! Lastly Cominie’s staff, his ultimate source of power, was consumed by the medallion leaving him with nothing but the medallion. Feeling that the medallion was cursed he threw it into a gorge, only to see it rise from the gorge a century later when the marksman Eto found it. Over the centuries it passed through many hands and brought every owner untold misery,” said Obalesh as he bowed his head and then said flatly,“ Now Sest here being pure evil must have thought he could tame the Medallion of Believe, and gotten sucked inside himself. Much to the chagrin of no one I must say. And now you are the unfortunate owner of the medallion, I wish you good luck.”
Saycha squinted his eyes and said,” That doesn’t make sense though. When I was in the woods the medallion protected me from a Canto and when I was under attack a second time it protected me again. In neither case did it collect evil. I think I caught you in a lie.”
Obalesh looked shocked and said quickly,” I, I told you the absolute truth if you choose not to see it…”
“Well if it is the truth, and what I’ve heard of you is true, it should have already sucked you inside. How do you explain that?” asked Dorama as she crossed her arms.
“You insolent children, you think I would partake in such a lowly deception!” said Obalesh as he paced back and forth.
Saycha and Dorama looked at him and then each other and smiled.
Obalesh shouted,” Free fires of God!” Then he shot a fiery beam of red light at Saycha. The Medallion of Believe surrounded Saycha and Dorama in a lavender shield, protecting them from Obalesh. The medallion fired a red beam of light at Obalesh lifting him up and throwing him the length of the room, through all of the curtains and into the Palant heads mouth.
Everyone at the party immediately stopped and watched the battle. Obalesh yelled,” Burn, burn, be death’s new friend!” His shadow stood up and ran at Saycha. The shadow leapt for Saycha’s neck. The medallion put up a circular red net in front of him and the shadow was split into a million pieces when it tried to pass through.
Shortly after, the medallion threw the red net at Obalesh, but Obalesh darted out of the way at the last second and ran for the stairs. He pushed anyone who got in his way brutally aside.
Then stopped at the stairs to look back at Saycha and make a C with his thumb and index finger.
Jamce ran over to Saycha and Dorama and asked,” What was all that about?”
“There’s more to this Medallion of Believe then we know,” said Dorama.
“That’s what it’s called,” said Jamce implying a question.
“Yes and the person inside is Sest Moncry, a wizard of the Missing Light,” said Saycha as he looked down at the shouting man.
“Well this Sest Moncry is good at getting us almost killed. Needless to say we need to rid ourselves of him as soon as possible,” said Jamce.
“I couldn’t agree more, but something troubles me,” said Saycha.
“What’s that?” asked Dorama.
“Why would Obalesh lie about the medallion? I can’t put my finger on it…I almost,” said Saycha as he looked around nervously.