Day Six:
Phantom sat on the top tier of the Bral arena, looking down on the fairgrounds below. The city had arranged a huge festival to coincide with the conference. The festival had started the same day as the conference, and had not let up yet. The arena itself would be used for a concert later that night. Magical keyboard instruments were being set up on the round stage, while other people made sketches of where to put the various lights that the show would need. Onestar had expressed interest in attending this concert. The performer was a musician from Terraspace, a man named Yanni, and Onestar had heard him once before.
For the moment, however, the arena was silent. Phantom needed the piece of the arena, however. He was in the first stages of the worst hangover he had ever had. As he looked aside he saw Ville approaching, and he looked much the same.
"How are you feeling?" Phantom asked.
"I'll tell you when I can feel things again," Ville answered groggily.
Phantom smiled and nodded in agreement.
"I never thought one could party too much," Ville said and he sat beside Phantom. "Now, I'm not so sure."
"I couldn't agree more," Phantom answered. "You must admit though, that was one hell of a bash last night."
"Indeed! " Ville said. "And that beholder comic? Where did the arcane find him? He was hilarious!"
Phantom just laughed, remembering the beholder's monologue from the night before.
"No respect! No respect!" Ville quoted, rolling his eyes the way the beholder had.
"We'll have to find Eloelia," Phantom mentioned, changing the subject.
"Won't be easy," Ville said. "She was really cutting up the rug last night, or should I say the tablecloths?"
Phantom looked into the air for a moment.
"What do you think of Eloelia?" Phantom asked.
"Are you asking if I'm interested in her?" Ville said with a strange look.
"No," Phantom answered. "I'm just wondering what you think of her and the rest of the women on the Wanderer."
Ville rubbed his chin and thought.
"Eloelia is a stunner, and Illeria is just as nice," he said.
"Oh yes," Phantom said in agreement. "And what about the cat-woman?"
"Purrrrrrrrrrr," Ville said with a grin.
The two just laughed for a moment, until Phantom stopped suddenly as he looked over the side of the arena's restraining wall.
"What?" Ville asked.
Phantom stood up and pointed at an approaching ship.
"By Slefnir's hooves," Ville said quietly. "The Calla Maraine!"
"Or what's left of her," Phantom added.
Indeed the Calla Maraine looked battered, like it had flown through an entire fleet of mindspiders. It's sleek, blue hull had several unbecoming pits and scratches on it, and it's aft ballistae was completely gone. Only a charred mass of cinders occupied the turret.
"We had better get to the Wanderer," Phantom said. "The others will want to see this."
At that the two men started toward the docks where the Eternal Wanderer was resting.
Shortly, Onestar, Hall, Ville, Phantom, and Belieth waited on the city's main dock as the Calla Maraine came to rest in a repair berth. After a few minutes, a gangplank appeared, and some of the squid ship's crew began to emerge from the ship. Three customs officers came from under the shadow of the grounded Cuttle Command that served as the space traveler's guild quarters, and greeted one of them: a stocky, sturdily-built man wearing a cloak and a thin beard. Beside him was a small, well-dressed woman with reddish-brown hair and holding a magical staff.
"Bagath! Cherry!" Hall called as he waved to them.
The two looked over and shouted greetings as they approached the group from the Wanderer. They went white as sheets when they saw...
"Belieth?" Cherry whispered, as if addressing a ghost.
Belieth, shaking with joy, walked over to greet them.
"Yes," Belieth said, "it's me." She then started to laugh. "I'm back!"
At that, Cherry and Belieth engaged in a long, joyous embrace and Bagath ran over to the others. As more members of the Calla Maraine's crew emerged, words poured from all over as they updated one another about the last several weeks.
Later, the visitors from the Wanderer gathered on the bridge of the Calla Maraine. Technicians from both the Maraine and the Wanderer (Onestar insisted that they help with the repairs) were outside working to repair the damage the squid ship had endured. Over the course of an hour, Cherry, Bagath, Tempest, Djan, Gaye, and a mysterious old man, relayed the tale of their last mission. The officers of the Wanderer were in shock when the story ended.
"You actually went there?" Phantom asked. "And that is what it was like?"
"Yes," Bagath answered. The druid had a few patches of sunburn on his face, even after leaving the sphere of Athaspace almost three weeks before.
"And you," Hall said, indicating the old man," are... Darran Koor?"
The old man smiled and nodded.
"Unbelievable," Onestar muttered.
"If not for the magical elixir," Tempest said, "we would have never made it out."
"As it is," she added softly, "some of us didn't." Tempest looked wistfully at the floor, as Gaye placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
Cherry lifted an ivory box and opened it. Darran-Koor just watched as she withdrew the odd, cylindrical core of the Key.
"This is the Key to Solaris's fate," Cherry said. "The segment I have at home fits here," she said, pointing to one of the ornate grooves on the cylinder. "I still have to find the other three pieces."
"Two pieces," Hall said softly.
"Does this have something to do with that little jaunt you took to that other moon?" Ville asked.
"In a way," Hall answered. "Hypathia, an arcane, had one of the other pieces." Hall paused for a moment. "In exchange for a favor, she sold it to me."
"You have another piece?!?" Cherry said excitedly.
"Yes I do. I'll bring it over later today."
"I have a better idea," Onestar said. "Blaise has arranged a special, catered meal to be served on the docks near the Wanderer. You are all invited to join us."
The invitation was graciously accepted, and they all walked toward the dock, and on toward the Wanderer.
That evening, the gardens above the Royal Docks were alive with a celebration, the likes of which Bral will probably never know again. With permission granted by Prince Andru (again in compensation for earlier 'misunderstandings'), the crew of the Eternal Wanderer held something the Fleetfoot clan called a "Bar-B-Que."
Over a large rotating spit, a large cow was roasting. The chefs were coating the meat with a tangy sauce which smelled like hickory wood. Nearby, foods from all spheres were available for all to enjoy. The crew from the Calla Maraine, as well as some of the members of the Conrog conference and some of the Rock's notables were on hand for the party. Onestar opened the celebration by eating one of the ribs from the cow. Everyone laughed as the samurai got the hot, sticky 'barbque' sauce all over him.
Blaise was especially happy. The Conorg had given him a very healthy research grant to continue his work on the Nextasy Device, as well as access to a wide variety of "classified" research facilities. What's more, he had convinced several key members of the Consotrium to support Onestar's psionic helm. Once the samurai had the prototype working (if he ever could), Conorg would eventually make him a very rich man.
The Beholder comic, a one "Rodney Orbusfield," even dropped in to make an extremely funny performance. Even Onestar seemed to crack a smile occasionally.
Hall and Belieth were joined by Corowin Willoleaf and a few of his associates from the Golden Loom. When Hall met Belieth's father, they embraced, and became fast friends. Belieth was radiating joy all night long; she was home, and she had her family with her.
One could argue that Whisper has having the most fun of all. With so many people milling around, there was always someone with a handout.
The night was filled with sweet sounds of music, wonderful aromas and laughter. Most wished it would never end.
Sadly, it soon would.
