Day 158 (136th)

Day 158 (136th):
Loud noises startled us awake. We realized that this, too, was a crude copy of Raval's bells. Bangs, crashes and other noises continued for some moments. Kendar, still in his night clothes, jerked open the door and looked at us wildly.
"What in the world was that?" he asked, searching to see if the sound had originated in our room.
"The Baalocs have their own 'bell' system like Raval," Anna told him calmly.
Kendar just stopped. His mind reeled at this news. That the Baalocs had copied Raval was no surprise. The fact that the noise we had heard was their reproduction of it was surprising. Raval's bells was a melody of an ancient source which gently built to a climax that everyone could hear. This was chaotic, random, and plain loud. The elves entered as Kendar left to get dressed. They said they had witnessed the noise makers, who were just taking sticks and beating anything that would make a sound. Kendar met up with us down in the common room. He was dressed, but still recovering from his fright. Rono was just as cheerful as yesterday. He asked what our plans were for today. The elves said they considered returning to the forest.
"We are not sure what we can offer anymore. We had only agreed to escort you through Brimgrove. Curiosity and the need to see the problem for ourselves are why we continued to accompany your group. Now that we have seen, we wish to take this back to all of the elves," Lurox sadly told us.
As sad as it was, we agreed to let them part. The horses they had ridden would go with them. Rono showed them his tunnel and told them where it exited and the quickest route to the forest. Callie was able to contact Leo and asked him to watch over them until they reached the safety of the woods. After they ate, we said our good-byes and watched them disappear into the tunnel. We stayed until the sound of the horses could no longer be heard.
Back in the common room, we pondered our next moves. Rono contacted his friends. When we introduced ourselves, a few of them fell to the floor and praised the same deity Constance had praised. Once finished, they gave us the general layout of the city. Some were also able to tell us hidden ways into the palace. The swords buzzed a plan to us.
"We would like to see how Cornwall and the rest react in a crisis. Nothing grand, but definitely unsettling," I interrupted.
"What do you have in mind, ladies?" Rono asked, realizing that talking to me was the same as talking to all of us.
"Callie's powers, just like the rest of us, have grown. With our aid, she can reassemble some of the wall and a few buildings to a stronger and safer style that will be far less chaotic. Also, Sarah and Lisa can strip away a layer or two of the disease and poison within this city. Gretta can shatter around a block of false trinkets and fake items. That would cause a small crisis."
The others sat in silence. A tall, dark, formidable-looking man slammed his hands on the table we were all sitting around.
"I say do it. Shake them up. Too many believe the Baalocs won after Maalicus 'martyred' himself. They need a dose of reality."
The others agreed. Rono led us to the roof. From there, we could see a nice chunk of the city. We set up an area to amplify our actions. Mattis sent some things to help us. By mid-day, we were set and ready. After we ate and readied ourselves, we began. Callie stood in the center, Wrath flat in her hands, and scanned for her first target. The rest of us channeled energy to her to boost and sustain her. A portion of the wall about two blocks south of us began moaning and creaking. The odd bits and pieces reshaped themselves and molded to resemble the older portion of the wall. Crowds began to gather and watch the event. When the noise stopped, a thirty-foot wide column of strong smooth stone broke up the chaos of the rest of the wall. Callie paused and said one building then it was Gretta's turn. Searching, she spotted a spire five blocks west of the inn. Building up again, she directed her power to it. Moaning and creaking alerted the crowd at the wall. They rushed to it and watched the tower rebuild itself into a clean, smooth, symmetrical spire. Callie sat heavily and said she was done. We helped her take Gretta's place at the edge while Gretta stepped into the center. Since channelling was easier than directing, Callie was able to continue. Gretta focused on an area slightly north of us but that would include the inn and Rono's shop. We gathered the energy and supplied it to her. Pops, snaps, and breaking glass echoed through the city. Items of all types, sizes, and values were reduced to showers of dust as they exploded. Even Rono had a few things blown apart. When she was done, a six block radius was covered in the remains of fake diamonds, artificial jewels, and phony magical items. After taking a few deep breaths, Gretta informed us she wanted to do it once more. This time, somewhat west, another six block area was decimated. She walked slowly to the place Sarah vacated. Sarah, with Lust in hand, looked for her targets. Soldiers in demon armor had arrived and were corralling the spectators. She chose them and their prisoners. The crowd became quiet as they felt the power work on them. The soldiers were also silent. We saw legs, backs, and arms become straight. Hairless heads started blooming hair. Even a few missing parts began growing back. When nothing else could be healed, Sarah stopped. She was tired, but wanted to continue. She did not find another group so she turned it over to Lisa. Lisa found two targets quickly. At two junctions we could see, fountains bubbled and splashed. Both were undrinkable. One had brown-red water that stained the formerly white stone. The other had odd-smelling foam and ran slowly. She chose the stained one first. Using Gluttony like cross-hairs, she focused on it. For a moment, the water stopped. People close to it looked at it curiously. Then, clean water started flowing from the top. As it flowed, the stone lost its stain. Like ice melting, the color slid off the stone to reveal it true white color. When it got to the bottom, it drained away on the inside and vanished into the ground on the outside. A brave man dipped his hand in it and drank it. His shout brought others over who drank, dunked their heads, and filled up every container they could find. Lisa continued for a few more moments, making sure the source would not retaint the fountain. She stopped, caught her breath, and focused on the foaming one. Again, the water stopped. People from the first who were walking by it stopped to watch this one. A rumble from below it spooked them. All the water drained quickly, sucking the foam down as well. A jet of water shot straight from the top. The water then slowed to what it should be and washed the foam out of the basin. After a few seconds, another brave man drank from it. His shout brought some of those fighting for water from the other fountain. Lisa continued until the source of the taint was gone. She desperately wanted one more thing to purify, but her knees gave out and she fell. We ended the magic. Anna, Alice, and I removed all evidence of our activity while the others went to our room to rest. Rono and his friends played the part of not knowing what had happened. Other Baaloc soldiers arrived to hear the fantastic things that had happened and see the evidence for themselves. Water, trinket dust, and people were taken to the palace for examination. We saw the liaison, Nigel, swagger up and down the streets. The red bolts of his anger nearly obscured the blackness of his soul cloak. From every soldier, every citizen, he demanded to know the party responsible. The three of us were still on the roof as he howled his anger at those on the street. Holding hands, we asked the stone of the spire, wall, and fountains to produce a symbol of our own. On all four, an ancient symbol formed. Only the liaison could read it, besides Rono and his friends. In the Faerie language, the symbols for "Seven" "Sisters" and "Swords" were either as big as a door or as small as a plate. Since he could only reach the fountains, he tried to break one off. He slipped and fell into the purified water. He ran from his impromptu bath before too many saw the welts rising on his face. It was not as strong as the spring water from Green Springs, but his evil did cause it to react on him. By the time we got back inside, a curfew had been issued for the area. No one except Baaloc soldiers would be out after sunset for twenty blocks around Rono's inn. Kendar asked if we could join everyone in the common room. Callie, Gretta, and Sarah made it easily enough. Lisa was still a little weak and leaned on Alice as she came down the stairs. We assembled at the table we were at before. We sat down to a sea of puzzled looks.
I started to explain, but Rono stopped me, "Knowing how or what you did would be no help to us. We have no fear of this curfew. Why we called you down here was to ask a favor. If you could continue this for a few more days, it would make it easier to get in the palace and get to Cornwall before the wedding procession arrives. This city would be in such an uproar, no one would be certain of anything. Three of you didn't use you powers. What could you do?"
We thought a moment, "Alice sees individual histories while Anna receives the history of places. I see the true nature of people, animals, and any living thing. We're not sure how to use that to cause any disturbances."
We were quiet as we all thought about it.
Another of Rono's friends casually asked, "Wonder what Cornwall thinks of all of this?"
As one, we asked, "Want to find out?"
Everyone looked at us. Kendar smiled since he remembered our previous viewings. Everyone agreed that they did want to find out. We asked Rono if he had a large mirror. He grabbed one out of the hallway and set it up. We asked the mirror if it would please show us Cornwall and let us hear what was being said. The mirror started to ripple and blur. The sound came as the images were settling.
"...me again exactly what happened," a male voice ordered wearily.
The liaison huffed and started his tale in a slow and deliberate fashion, "The Seven Sisters are here. They have flaunted their power by vandalizing a section of the wall, a spire of a church, and two fountains."
"How have they done that? What damage did they cause?" Cornwall asked, slightly more interested.
"The wall is plain and smooth. No Baaloc handiwork on it at all. Same with the church spire; straight, smooth, and even on all sides. Both fountains run water nearly as tainted as Green Springs. It is unfit to drink yet the people believe it is sweet and delicious. Years of protection were washed away in moments. Plus, my lord, many people were disfigured by their magics."
"Can you show me?" Cornwall asked, on the edge of his throne.
"I can, my lord. A citizen and a soldier are with me to show you two extreme cases of this disfigurement."
The doors opened and two men entered. Both were obviously frightened. When they reached Cornwall and Nigel the liaison, they were ordered to tell their tales.
The citizen spoke first, "I had watched both the wall and spire transformed. Still in awe, I felt a tingle upon my body. I looked at the stump of may arm and watched a complete arm, wrist, and hand grow from it. When it was finished, I found it to be completely functional and strong. It was nothing short of amazing."
Nigel stopped him and ordered the soldier to report.
"Sirs, I arrived on the scene after the wall had stopped changing and the spire had started. I witnessed the last half of its transformation. When it stopped, I felt a curious sensation on my face. The right side of my face was burned many years ago which blinded me on that side. I kept it covered at all times. I removed this covering and found my sight returning. Also the skin smoothed and became the way it was before the accident. I have perfect vision in that eye and my skin is without mark. Even other pains and aches have vanished."
"See!" Nigel shouted, "Corruption and disfigurement. The god ordained these men to be as they were and these unholy bitches take it upon themselves to change them without their knowledge or permission. Abominable!"
Cornwall sat back and thought quietly. The citizen and soldier were dismissed. Nigel stood and waited. We suspected he was hoping for some great decree that would lock down Baaloc Prime in some way. We saw his disappointment when Cornwall sent him away without any more discussion. We ended the viewing and Rono returned the mirror to the hallway. After a quiet moment, giggles slowly erupted among us. I was laughing at the twisted way Nigel was interpreting our actions. We knew his true nature yet hearing him spinning the events was amusing. We wondered if Cornwall was able to see what really happened or if he accepted Nigel's version of the events.
Dinner was casual and the talk was easy. We were told of things about our new friends and told them about us. There were no night "bells" like Raval. Remembering the new curfew, the others left. We seven, Kendar, and Rono were left in the now very empty inn. We helped clean up and then went to bed. It had been a very satisfying day.