Chapter 13

Synopsis
Lo, praise be to those prowessed heroes of knife, war-axe, hammer, and longbow, who returned to Chezalia with battle-sweat still on their brow. How brave, but bravest of all, Helike the Ever-Turning, quick of mind and bow.

No more than "We have returned" had they spoken on Chezalian soil before the seven were brought to recount their battles and relay their knowledge of spycraft and cunning to Field Marshal Odileth. Odileth listened enrapt, though was unimpressed with Helike's brag that there were no casualties due to friendly fire. "A spy is in your midst, he goes by the name John" said the seven and those that took notes in the corners of the tent did look askance with guilt in their eyes. They were dismissed, and only then was the battle-story finished. The seven left the guardhouse with words of caution, but were greeted in the town with heroes' welcome. The townsfolk cheered, and Helike would have been a good king to them, but the others were fatigued and had to sleep.

At the Gilded Lily, hotel of gold-trimmed halls, the heroes supped and drank deeply of spirits rare and strong, served by the gentle hand of Milin. The half-orc Neega Dirt-Fist, cursed to smell dark magic, spoke of Lenny's ill scent. Unfazed, the enemy-crushers returned to Barmenides' tavern. Gurney received a potion of relived glory, but as he drank, his mood darkened. His past weighed heavy on his brow, and he left, weak and guilt-ridden. So unlike Helike the Paragon, who looks at his past with righteousness, for he has never done anything wrong ever.

In the morning, Carnelian prepared new magics to cure Lenny of Ylil's curse, and was unable to find Tolko. Lenny stepped into his runic circle, and stepped out unchanged. Only time will tell if the incantation had effect. Gurney went to the temple of Tyr, to ask for absolution and guidance. The priest gave counsel and in time, Gurney was filled with Tyr-valiance and Tyr-wisdom.

The heroes traveled to the Chezalia Arboretum, where they were to be honored and glorified at the Time-Tree festival. Gurney attacked a tree for some reason, no one knows why. His actions brought the ire of the tree-mother, forestress Laerophen. Meanwhile, Helike the Horizon Walker saw another like him, one who sees beyond the barriers of time and space to other realms. Helike, wise and powerful as he was, did not know the ways of the Horizon Walker nor the source of his powers. He ran to greet this man, short of stature, hairy of chest, attired in a thick trenchcoat. This was Cesta Malora, fellow Horizon Walker. Helike explained his plight, and displayed his strength and control of multiplanar powers, and Cesta was impressed.

A bell was rung, the festivities of the evening were to begin. The hostess arrived in regal dress: Andromeda Eltanin, Helike's accursed aunt, as cruel as she was ageless. Her words of thanks to the heroes were flowery, but their meaning serpentine and caustic. Speaking as if to a dull child, she asked Helike of his exploits. Helike's blood became inflamed, but he was too slow of tongue to lash his asp-like relative.

The heroes were bid to wait for the evening's food tournament to be set up. They wandered, joy-filled in celebration. The ordered trees of the arboretum shifted, they had wandered into The Bends, where directions become like whirls in a coursing stream. A dark grove encircled them, and between unholy boughs stood an ancient ziggurat smothered in the roots of a octopus-like tree.

A strange laughing voice creaked from the oak, the voice of a demonic entity from long ago traverses of netherplanes. "Gurney, she misses you" the tree-spirit taunted, "join them and all will be well." Gurney met the words with an ax slash to the tricksy wood, and did go on for some time about something. Meanwhile, Helike spied a longbow of elven make nestled within the roots. Inscribed in gold it said "The best of all elves." Helike knew that  despite an accident of his birth, he was the best of all elves, and if the bow would help him achieve his destiny, then possessing it was right and just. "Don't do it!" Carnelian cried, waving his pudgy hands and smelling like an old boot. But Helike did not heed him, and took the bow.

Gurney cut through the rest of the trunk and the tree-thing toppled, revealing but a single year's growth. Dark sap trickled from the cut, which Helike did gather. The dark essence faded from the Grove and the heroes returned to the arboretum.

The cooking competition went as follows:

It was the Halfling soup onto which the heroes bequeathed their prize, the choice sealed with an arrow shot from elven bow into the wooden table. The revelry continued with the ritual of the Time-tree: Helike notched the year's mark into the sacred wood.

The ritual complete, the party waned. Carnelian was drawn to the forest, where a drug-addled goblin named Pink Eye led him to away. Perched in the crook of a branch was a coreligionist's pendant, inscribed with the sigil of his god, Baldr. What ill fate his brother-priest Duluth faced was unknown, but worry chewed his guts.

Helike joined his soul to his new bow, and became the Best of All Elves. His ears became pointed, his height increased, and righteous fury filled his bosom. He went to tongue-lash his evil aunt and seek recompense for her years of treachery. She looked askance and scoffed, "A glammer?". She accused him of using magicks to appear as he was not and would never be. This sent his blood boiling with boundless fury, and he went to shove her to the ground. Gurney, thick in muscle as he was thin in brain, pulled Helike away. Helike, unfazed, misty-leapt high into the air to strike Andromeda down.

Carnelian, a scared little piglet of a man, squeaked out a spell of sanctuary, leaving Helike's attack to fail. The others did their best to end the fighting and reveal to Andromeda her shame. But they did nothing but draw out more of her poison. Helike, unable to even touch his wicked aunt, poured the tree sap on Lenny and begged her to smear the sticky goo on Andromeda's dress. Andromeda called the town guards, but before they arrived, Helike called a fog cloud to enshroud the area. Helike ran off to the forest, bloodlust unsated and honor-wounds unsalved.

The rest returned to the hotel, where Gurney, breaking apart with guilt, began preparations to leave Chezalia before morning. Begging for him to stay, the others listened as Gurney spoke aloud his dark past which had gone unspoken all these months.

Items

 * "Best of All Elves" bow
 * Duluth's pendant
 * Lenny's sister's letter

Trivia

 * Helike is the Best of All Elves