Farewell to Glantri City
Karnus bid Lana allow him time to mull over the unexpected request she had made; Lana was happy to do so therefore the two parted company for the rest of the day. Karnus announced that he would head to the Great School (unfortunately not even his status as Wizard graduate would permit Lana the "guest" snoop around she had been hoping for) to inform his friends, fellow students and tutors that he would be leaving them for an indefinite period. It did not help matters that Teldon had been so guarded with the details of whatever mission lay in store for him, Karnus and Lana.
After depositing Karnus on one side of Alexander Platz and watching him head in the direction of the School, Lana sped with all haste on her carpet toward the Kash Flow where her personal couturier Jean-Paul was delighted to unveil the wardrobe of pieces he had specially crafted to fit Lana. The garments had been masterfully cut from exquisite fabrics and Lana lost no time trying each in turn, though she could only lament that she would not be staying in Glantri City to show them off for much longer.
That evening the two mages met in the Mages Hostelry. Lana watched her friend down his Mandrake Liqueur with gusto, evidently used to the potent beverage by now. Lana was still obliged to take hers in small sips with lengthy pauses inbetween. Karnus' expression was stern as he informed his companion that despite his better judgment he would return to Karameikos, purely out of curiosity as to why his former master required his presence. Was Lana sure he hadn't given her any message to hand to Karnus, written or verbal, had he mentioned any other detail? Lana could only shake her head, but was overjoyed that Karnus was returning home and expressed her feelings while embracing him. Karnus made clear that he could not guarantee his support for the mission if it contravened his personal interests, or his loyalty to the Great School or to the Wizard Princes; nor would his absence from the School be tolerated indefinitely. While Karnus had not severed his personal connection with Karameikos or its Magicians' Guild, it was clear he now had interests which ranked higher than those pertaining to his homeland.
Lana offered to Teleport Karnus home using the spell Hadrian had taught her shortly before she had left Karameikos, however Karnus expressed his concern as to the spell's inability to guarantee safe arrival, despite Lana's precise familiarity with Specularum. Instead, he would opt for the safe passage offered by the Staff of Hutaaka with which he would transport himself to the ruined settlement of Krakatos, just a short distance outside the Karameikan capital.
Before leaving, Karnus had one last errand to run - research on behalf of one of his tutors, to earn his release from upcoming responsibilities. Karnus would be required to attend the Sages' Guild and consult with the sages on a particular topic of arcane relevance. Approaching the canal-side building the mages found it to be guarded by a number of amber golems - several of the feline constructs prowled the perimeter while one stepped forward to lead the duo to a waiting room. They sat waiting patiently for a sage to become free, and hours passed. Finally an administrative officer came forward to announce that a sage would not be available until the following day at the absolute earliest, so the pair departed.
Outside they instantly sensed that all was not right - something was different to when they had entered. The air was far more chill than was to be expected for the time of year, and cries were coming from the canal running alongside the walkway they were standing on. The surface of the canal had frozen over, embedding many gondolas and other craft within it. Karnus knelt and put one hand to the ice, feeling its immense and unnatural cold. A couple of amber golems had followed the pair from the Guildhouse and appeared to be viewing the ice with equal wariness. Rightly so - since moments later the surface of the ice shattered as an immense claw burst through, and a huge crab hauled its way onto the walkway. It stood easily twenty foot tall, its body seeming to be composed of ice. As the creature looked around, getting its bearings, a sparkling ray of magic shot from one of its antennae - hitting a nearby gondola and transforming it to nothing more than vapour. The amber golems snarled and pounced at the crab whilst Lana and Karnus looked at one another with concern, before raising their hands in spellcasting. Karnus' fireball and Lana's lightning engulfed the crab simultaneously, then both mages loosed barrages of Magic Missiles but still this was not enough. As the crab turned in their direction, Lana looked at Karnus in desperation - her reserves of offensive magic were depleted. Karnus raised the Staff of Hutaaka and released a second flaming blast which lifted the crab and slammed its body into the wall behind. With its physical body rent apart, whatever energies bound the elemental being to the Prime Plane began to disperse and the crab appeared to melt back into the canal.
Not wanting to tarry any longer, Lana declared that she would travel ahead to Specularum to inform Teldon of Karnus' impending arrival. The blue-robed mage noted this, saying that he simply needed to return to the Great School to inform his tutor that he had not been able to consult with the sages despite his best efforts. Lana clasped her companion on the shoulder, brought her hands together and with a word of magic vanished. Her time in Glantri was at an end. Karnus turned and walked the length of the frozen canal before hailing a gondola to take him back to the School. As he waited he recalled something he had meant to mention to Lana prior to her departure - a yellow-robed cleric had been apprehended by the constabulary for healing beggars in the Open Market. This had been in brazen defiance of the Glantrian laws prohibiting the practice of clerical magic, almost as if the individual had deliberately sought to get caught...? The idea seemed laughable, but even so... He would no doubt be sentenced to death, some of Karnus' colleagues had mentioned taking time out from their experiments to view the execution which would probably take place on the Alexander Platz the next day. A curious affair, Karnus thought.
The next day, as he was bidding temporary farewell to his favourite griffon in the stables of the Great School, Karnus was joined by his fellow students on their way back from witnessing the foolish cleric's demise. Prior to being burned at the stake, the fellow was understood to have shouted something aloud in Elvish - no more than a sentence or two. Even curioser, Karnus thought, though he did not bother to enquire about the meaning of the cleric's words. In any event farewells were traded before Karnus channelled his concentration through the Staff of Hutaaka. All present in the grounds looked on and marvelled as a gateway formed in the air before the blue-robed mage, its edges swathed in ethereal mist. Within could be viewed ancient ruins - those of Krakatos, a few miles west of the Karameikan capital. Karnus took a brief moment to compare the two lands, each so entirely different from the other. Bidding farewell to the land he had come to view as his spiritual home, Karnus shouldered a pack of his belongings and stepped boldly through the portal.
Read the next instalment - Journey to Alphatia