Scene 4, closed but not yet revised: Looking for a buyer

In which Varien goes into Sigil to sell things taken from orcs. If anyone else happens to go into Sigil in the same timeframe, that will also go here.

Varien checked his appearance in his mirror. The disguise was minor, but effective. A darker complexion, darker hair, and a shorter stature did wonders to prevent him form being recognized. Magic is so common in Sigil, he reflected, that no one is likely to wonder at it.

He pulled up his hood as he left his room; no reason to be seen in the wrong place with this look.

The trip to Sigil was a short one. The school had a special gate that led directly to the city. No one knew who had created the portal or when it had been made, but it had been there a long time and seen a great deal of use. It was never closed. He stepped through the iron gate, about eight feet wide on the school side, and once again wondered about the mechanics of the transfer. How did a gate that was eight feet wide and open on one side, as well as scrubbed clean, manage to be only three feet wide on the other, and closed and rusted? Also, how did things too wide for the Sigil side make it through? As always, he shrugged it off and kept walking.

If you see your money lenders first, turn to page 87.
If you look for a buyer first, turn to page 45.
If you do anything else, turn to page pi^i.

Scene 3, closed but not yet revised: Home again home again jigity jig

Feel free to add bits into the middle as well as onto the end of the following scene. There may be other things you want to ask about before you let this man go. Any discussion of who is going into Sigil to unload things and look for a dealer should happen before you leave the cart, though the actual trip will be a separate scene.

They arrived back at the school tired and sweaty. Their cart came to a rest in the courtyard outside the stables, and their second set of summoned oxen vanished. Gurg was waiting.

"They gone?"

Varian woke when Ionjae answered from beside him. "Yes. They're gone. The farmhouse couldn't be saved though."

"That's fine. Those farmers won't mind, so long as the orcs don't come back to bother them."

A squinty eyed farmer wandered out of the stable, straw in his hair and mud clinging to his stubble. "You sure they ain't commin back?"

"Yes. They're gone. Don't worry."

"Good. My name's Earl, and I'd like to thank you. That was my house they was in. I shoulda burned it like my neighbors did theirs. Keep them damn dirty orcs from gettin anything o'mine. Now me and mine is gonna get back to our farm and away from all the strange things you have here abouts."

"Wait. They burned their farms? I thought the orcs had done that."

"Naw, but they woulda. Them orcs cain't be trusted round civlisation. They ain't made for it, and that's a fact. Thank you kindly, and I'll just round up my blood and get out of your hair. You stop in if you're back out our way and we'll stand you a nice homestyle supper." Calling out that it was safe now, he walked back into the stable.

Gurg had been peering into the cart while the farmer thanked them. "You took their weapons? You killed them, didn't you. I didn't think you were the sort. Did you try talking to them first? No one's likely to miss some orcs around here, but in the future, I'd appreciate a bit more... delicacy when I give you a job."

"We didn't-"

"That's all right. No skin off my nose, but keep this quiet. Particularly from Throg, that sixth year abjuration major. He's figured out some very creative things. I hear he once warded his roommate's lips against food for a day as a joke, and I know he warded his roommate's girlfriend against water for two weeks. She smelled horrible. I think the roommate had made some idle joke about 'stinking orcs.' I'm pretty sure that the chief of this tribe, that's his helmet there with the dragon teeth and ogre tusks, was his uncle, or cousin, or mother's uncle's halfbrother or something. Just keep it quiet, and get all this out of here."

Scene 2, closed but not yet revised: Bit with the Orcs

They left early. Very early. Varian didn't think he had ever been up this early except from the other side, and then he'd thought of it more as late. He liked late better. Grumbling to himself, he reflected that there had better be good money at the end of this.

The walk was uneventful. They hiked down country lanes usually used by the farmers to bring their produce and livestock to the school, the only dense settlement or link to more civilized parts on the entire continent. They walked the first ten miles in silence.

Ionjae finally broke the mood. "Thank you."

"Huh?"

"Thanks. I'm glad I don't have to do this by myself. They always tell us in class that a well prepared wizard is easily a match for hundreds of armed warriors, but it's still scary to actually try it out."

"Hey, that's what we're here for, right? A learning experience is what this is. It'll be good for us. Just wish it didn't have to be so early."

"We talked about that. We have to get in position before they wake up or get any kind of visibility. Neither of us is good enough to cast our spells at a distance, and besides, we wouldn't be able to pick up the loot if we weren't on hand."

"I know. The complaining just makes me feel better is all. So lets go over the plan again. When we get close, I'll make us invisible."

"No, we were going to be camouflaged."

"Nah, invisibility's easy enough. Easier, actually. I just make the light go around us. Camouflage is harder. I have to make our skin look like both skin and whatever's around it at the same time. Easier to accomplish with paint, harder with magic."

"All right, invisible then."

"So what next?"

"Well, after we're invisible, we get into position. Loannae showed us that hill about a hundred yards off with the big bushes on the south face. We'll sit there. I'll start it raining oil. Hopefully they won't notice that. If they do, then we'll have to move the timeline up. So once it's raining oil, I'll summon a few air elementals to keep an eye on everything for us. Then the wolves to guard the back door, over in that gully. Then you again."

"Right. Then I send in a hoard of illusionary vermin, and hopefully send them running out into your oil."

"Yes. Then I light it all with a bolt of lightning. That ought to kill them all, but if it doesn't, then the wolves and elementals go to work. We never did discuss what we'll do if any get away."

"I don't think they will, but it's your job, what do you want to do? Do we hunt them down, or let them go and hope that no one reports it?"

"Well, I don't know. Do you think you could track any that get away?"

"Yeah. I can do that no problem."

"Then we'll deal with that if it comes up."

They walked a few more miles, again in silence. A light rain started to make puddles in the lane. An hour before dawn they reached their goal. Varian muttered and waved his hands for a few moments, then stopped. Ionjae looked at him.

"I thought you could do it."

"I did. I just let us see through it, so we don't get separated. Same way we see out of the illusion. Easy."

"Oh, right."

As they headed to their selected bush, they saw a single orc, standing near the door of the farmhouse.

"He's huge. At least 6'6". And that axe. Damn. I wonder what that's worth?"

"Ha. Even if it makes it through the fire, do you want to carry it all the way back?"

"Oh, I thought we'd take one of their carts. If one makes it through the fire. Do you think you could keep the oil off just one cart?"

"Yeah, good idea. I'll leave the farthest one clear."

They sat down. Ionjae scratched a few symbols in the dirt. The smell of the rain changed. The orc didn't seem to notice. "A few more minutes of this and we're ready." He started muttering to himself. A few minutes later, he looked up and nodded. "The oil's ready, and we've got our wolves and elementals. Your turn."

Varian mumbled some more. Bats, rats, snakes and insects seemed to boil out of the air and earth at the side of the house. The orc around front saw nothing. The vermin began to push through the wall and windows. Then the screams began.

"Do they have prisoners in there?"

"No. Loannae checked that. She said they were all orcs. She showed us. They were all orcs."

"All right..."

Just then the door burst open and orcs of various sizes began to pour out into the yard.

"Shit," Varian swore, "light it, quick."

Ionjae thrust his hands into the air and clapped them together. A flash of lightning split the air amidst the crowd of orcs, illuminating them for a moment. Then, the entire yard and house burst into flames. Ionjae sat silently, mouth agape, reviewing the image seared into his mind.

"Was that a teddy bear?"

"Yeah. I think we screwed up."

The conjured oil only burned for a few moments, but the things it had lit burned much longer. Small fires burned around the yard, and various heaps smoldered. Some of them screamed. Nearby, a child was sobbing.