Back Story

"I've seen you before. You and your white stallion." He looks at Duke with disdain. "Not him, the horse. Why is a pretty thing like you hanging around with a paladin like him. I'm glad you came to your senses and know to look for a cleric! Would you settle for a necromancer?"

Caught a bit off guard, I respond, "Oh! I remember you, from Baya. Your flattery is sweet, but this is urgent and I’ll take anything that can help. Duke was cursed by a sea hag and the spore druids in Ixtal gave him something to cure him, but he was left with this," I gesture at the mark on his face. "I tried to see if divine healing could get rid of the scar, but... it just glowed a purplish blue and he was howling in pain and umm..." Pain paints my face remembering last night before I start speaking, "He wasn’t himself after that... Do you think you can help?!"

I take my hand to the ugly ones face and press my palm on the scar lines. I pull out my rattle for fun because I know it will annoy the shit out of him and shake it all over his face. "Sorry. He is still ugly. I do know that is more than a hag scar. Even druids could cure that. It's deep. It messes with his divinity. You need a cleric. Why you ask a necromancer? Don't go to Zaltec. His cure is to cut off his head. It might be an improvement, but Qotal around the corner will ask you to be fair and nice and orderly and shit, but they do good work."

I give Imsh a kiss on the cheek before dragging you out as fast as I can jog yelling, "Thank you!" over my shoulder. We head to the temple of Qotal and repeat the same process of asking for a cleric upon finding someone.

"Good morning, my husband here needs your help. He's been cursed by a sea hag, the druids in Ixtal gave him something that seems to have suppressed the surface symptoms of it, but it runs deep. I tried to use divine healing to cure it and it turned purplish blue, he was in terrible agony, and a moment after I stopped, he wasn't himself. A necromancer from the other temple said that the curse is messing with his divinity. How do we cure him?!"

"Brother, these are the two I said would come." Coming from a side chapel devoted to winged creatures, I come out into the sunlit interior and hug Kit and Kalu. "Kalu, you do look a little worse for wear." Turning to the cleric, "This is second child of High Priest Yukus. He has been on quest, and this is his lovely wife, the Lady Kitsune of Aum. Friends, this is Brother Quotzil."

The cleric looks at them with a smile and holds out a basket used to gather herbs.

"He wants an offering. Kalu, he has taken the vow of silence until Qotal returns. It has taken me a bit to learn his language, but an empty basket means little else."

"Huatzi, you’re a sight for sore eyes. It’s good to see you. I have this root I’ve been using for morning sickness, would that be an alright offering?" I pull out the bag from the apothecary shop and show the brother the roots inside it.

"I've come up to lead another caravan from Ixtal, but the Knights won't let me take them." The brother takes the root out and places his hand on your tummy to rub it and he smiles and gives you back the root. "Yep, He's a greedy little bastard. Yeah, I know your vow of silence doesn't stop your hearing." She turns back to you and says, "100gp will probably be seen as worthy to the gods, may Qotal come back with a vengence."

I let out a huge exhale as if being punched in the gut. "We don’t have that kind of gold! We might not have time to wait either! What if he loses himself again and instead of just attacking me, he goes rampant on the city?! Wait! Why don’t we help you with getting your shipment in? We’re planning to find a way to overthrow the Silver Knights and reclaim Nexal again. You’ll be able to go and come with whatever after. Can that be sufficient?!"

"I would love to help sister, but I can't spend my temple funds to fund the temple. Remember I am the temple's knight. Don't you have anything of value?"

"WAIT! What do you mean he attacked you? Did Jacob lay hands on you love?"

Turning to you, I say as delicately as I can, "No my love, you did, well, whatever possessed you did." You go to comfort me, touching the back of my head to pull me into an embrace and I wince from where my head still hurts, pulling away from the gesture, but standing close to you still. Cautiously, I continue, "The chunk of memory you're missing, waking up thinking you rolled out of bed when you never have... something happened in that chunk of time. I don't blame you, I know it wasn't you. You'd never intend to hurt me. But I would like to get whatever it is out of you before it happens again, especially since I don't know if it has a mind of its own and can take over you whenever it wants or if it's just a direct result of Kiltzi's attempt to heal you."

Turning back to the cleric, I produce my sweater from my pack. "I have this fine sweater. I'm not sure of its value, but I would happily hand it over if it'll be payment enough. I just want my husband healed, please!"

I am shocked. My expression changes from disbelief to horror. "Say it isn’t so, love! I could never hurt you. You really are scared of me? What can I do? I should cut this scar out rather than see fear for me in your eyes. My heart fails!" I can’t breathe. The panic consumes me as I desperately take your hand. With the other hand, I draw my dagger and put its point to my temple.

My thoughts go to all the times that I have been tied up or charmed or restrained in any way, and the panic takes over me, but the priests eyes are kind. I try to relax and only do so when you put both of your hands in mine and smile at me. Your tell me to breathe and look into your face. I melt into your empathy. I calm.

Meanwhile the priest calls forth the divine energy of Qotal and His power sweeps over me. The divinity within me springs to life as I am being healed. However, the scar that is fading on my skin, nonetheless burns with blue fire under the skin. My eyes turn orange and the hand you hold transforms into a clawed paw. It scares you but you hold onto it, fearful more of letting go and being slashed. The vines strain against my body as the priest lifts me up with pluma power so that my body encased in vines float over the dias. My nose is a snout and my mouth is full of sharp teeth. My orange feather sets The color of my matted fur that covers most of my body. Still the priest smiles and pours forth his calling. Qotal answers with divine healing which ignites your love as you and I glow In the center of the temple, lighting up the colored glass beads and shooting firey light into Nexal’s morning.

The light dies down and I am human again, sweating from exertion. I am asleep like a baby swaddled in your love. The scar is gone.

The priest looks to me and holds Kalu’s hands to his chest. I nod and turn to Kit, "The priest wants to keep Kalu for a while. This isn’t easy healing. Qotal will win him back. Trust Him."

I kiss your forehead before asking Huatzi, "Can I stay with him? I don’t mind waiting however long I need to, I don’t want to leave him alone."

I go over and give Kit a hug. She needs it. "Your divine light was shining. That’s pretty special, but it is done for now. The priest will take care of him. I have a better idea for you. I don’t know what the Brother did or saw, and he can’t explain it. Let’s ask Qotal in the only way we know how. There is a shrine in behind the dias. Come." I lead Kit to the shrine where a pendulum hangs from the ceiling swinging in a circle over a bare stone floor. The room is circular too with one oculus above letting in sunlight. I step close to where the pendulum swings from the ceiling and say, "My name is Kitsune... I am beautiful." At first the pendulum turns to an oval path going onto a distinct motion from left to right. Then on my second statement, it jerks and starts swinging from front to back and then eventually back to a circle. "There. Even though Qotal has left Maztica, enough of his magic remains to influence the swing. He can answer your questions in this way. I know first of all that the scar and how it reacts seems to be the work of a Viperhand spell that has transformed so many knights and people into monsters, but Duke isn’t an Orc or a Jagre. Something must mitigate the spell. You say Druids tried to cure him but failed to get all of it? And you tried and it made him attack you? It seemed that the brother’s divine magic made him turn into that beast. I’m sure you want answers. What questions do have have for the Pendulum?"

I caress your cheek before I am led away. My heart aches to be beside you, waiting for you to wake up, but I remind myself that I’ma room away and can rush to your side at a moment’s notice. Huatzi is right after all, I do have questions. Surprised with the pendulum suddenly changing direction. If it works... I have so many questions! "Well... is there a way to cure this in the jagres and orcs? Could Kiltzi’s divine love cure them? Why did the Druid cure reduce the curse’s affects but I just brought out a monster? Was I healing him, was that why he attacked me or is there another reason? What kept him from turning to begin with? Have I asked too many questions?"