While riding away from the Spider of Illceros’ ruins and bridge, Rask approaches Alexis and Ca’armine.
“When was last time we heard from Balls Wrecked? Back in Ghanil, right? It seems the demon’s interest in us vanished as we approached the First Gate? He only works in crowded places?
10 thoughts on “Demons In Our Midst”
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Red over hears the conversation.
“My guess is we would only see Balwreack near the First Gate for him to collect his favor, not to grant on.”
Rask nods at Red.
“Interesting… you think Ballsaak is connected to the Red Wastes?”
Rask glances at Alexis and Ca’armine.
Alexis give a slight shrug. “We’ve only seen him a couple times. What I want to know is: why did he choose those times to visit?
Remember that he visited us the first time in a place that should be guarded from such things. And as we were about to face great peril, or so we thought.
The second time was just before we might have been in great peril again.
It is interesting that during our peril at the First Gate he did not tempt us with a rescue.”
Alexis looks at Ca’armine and Gustav. “What do you both say about our visitor? Does Raiden provide any guidance or insights?”
Gus is walking along minding his business, and then hears Alexis call over to Gustav. He walks over and asks for a repeat of the question. Alexis kindly restates the question.
Gustav looks up at the crow and asks what she thinks of Bellrox. The bird caws and Alexis could swear she rolled her eyes.
“It seems she doesn’t think much of him. She doesn’t think much of most people. She doesn’t like me all that much.
Bellrox… I will pray on it tomorrow morning to see if a warning is given. Hard to tell if he is friend or foe. Doesn’t seem to want us dead. I trust him more than the deputy that led us to the first gate prison. I am however worried about the silver coin he gave you. Likely used to track us. Aren’t you worried about it?”
Alexis notices the crow looking at him. Again she seems to roll her eyes. Alexis thinks maybe the bird has some infection in her eyes.
Alexis gives a non-committal expression. “A little. We share an enemy, and Baalrex clearly thinks we can be useful. It’s hard to say.” Alexis brings out the coin to look at it briefly before putting it back in his pouch.
“I’ve wondered what the alchemical properties of the coin would be if ground into a powder. But that feels a little too Telosh to seriously consider.”
Responding to Rask:
“Not quite. It would seem he wouldn’t want to grant a favor for us at the First Gate as that would require him to take on a risk… going against the First Gate.
Where as if he asked us to do him a favor, the could require us to go against the First Gate”
“Hmm… that would imply that he fears the First Gate more than he fears the Collegium? Or perhaps merely that his interests align more with the First Gate’s?”
I wonder how closely the demon follows our progress. I think we are a long way away from places of consequence right now. I predict that, as we get closer to the fundamental conflict between good and evil, the demon will reappear. In fact it might be a sign that we are on the right track!
“The fine people at the First Gate seem to think they are very close to the fundamental conflict between good and evil.
Clearly there was much we could have learned. And I suspect much treasure to behold.”
“Yes, perhaps we are, as Drennos implied ‘off the board,’ at the moment. As Gus pointed out, the coin he gave us could be a way to make tracking us easier…”