Aside from Zim, everyone in the dream had met Skyl. Bordon and Tawna had gotten to know him during his journey, and the impression left by the warlock who had ridden in on horseback and ridden away again was so deep that they were willing to tell anyone they met about the stories he had left upon the land.
Livia sat on her own silver-cast road, just like the others. They were all fellow pilgrims of the Tower of Tomes, briefly gathering halfway along the road. She felt as if she were attending a heretical congregation, which was a little funny and a little frightening, but at the same time, there was also the joy of meeting kindred spirits, a sense of belonging that rose naturally in her heart.
Bordon Karpin was the first to speak. He had told this story twice before, and this time he told it especially for Livia.
"I live in Daggerford. I'm a groom. My father was a groom too, and we both served the ducal family living in the castle. I have always felt honored by that. Duchess Morwen of Daggerford is a very capable lord, and she treats commoners and servants kindly too. Maybe you've heard that every Daggerford citizen has to train in the duchess's private guard, and after coming of age, everyone has to serve in the militia for twenty years. Our militia isn't afraid of enemies. Even if another white dragon fell out of the sky, we'd still dare to fight it."
Livia patiently listened to Bordon ramble. This young groom was clearly not a qualified storyteller. He absolutely had no right to become a bard, and he was not even as good as the adventurers in taverns who chatted idly and boasted over drinks.
But as long as she could hear news about Skyl, Livia listened with full attention. If the story was a little dry, then she could simply imagine the scenes herself, piecing together the warlock's image bit by bit.
"Daggerford has a very long history. Its people have always been fighting enemies. The former duke fell in love with a succubus, and later he was killed by a fiend. Lady Morwen is the former duke's younger sister. There were rumors that she had actually been imprisoned by a succubus, and that the duchess we saw now was the succubus in disguise. But Daggerford really has been getting better and better under her wholehearted service.
"In short, we deeply respect Lady Morwen. She isn't an easy person to get close to. I've seen her many times, but I never managed to exchange more than a few words with her. She always mounts her horse and leaves without the slightest hesitation. Fifteen nights ago, I was sleeping in my room when I was suddenly woken by a terrible racket. The inner wall of the castle had exploded, and many people were screaming.
Then I heard someone knocking on the door. Outside was Lady Morwen, asking me to open it. The duchess was injured. I was terrified and asked what help she needed. She told me to prepare horses and take her away. I listened to her, helped Lady Morwen onto a horse, mounted another one myself, and we fled the castle, then the outer wall, then reached the docks and boarded a boat. We planned to drift down the Delimbiyr River and out to sea.
"That was when Mr. Skyl arrived. He flew over our heads standing on a blue sword, and then Lady Morwen suddenly grew wings and claws. Her face became very young and beautiful. She cast magic, and in an instant, her body split into several copies. One jumped into the river, one flew into the air, and one grabbed my neck. She shouted at Skyl, 'For the sake of a mortal corpse, you would make an enemy of me and the Red Wizards of Thay! The great Szass Tam will not let you go!'"
"What did Skyl say?"
"He said, 'Then let Szass Tam come find me. I'll take your head first.'"
"Ha! And then?"
"Skyl raised the scepter in his hand. In the blink of an eye, the river, the sky overhead, everywhere was filled with glowing swords. Hundreds, maybe thousands of them. The duchess was so frightened that she screamed. Her voice sounded very pretty. Her claws dug into me, and my back hurt terribly. Then I passed out.
"When I woke up, it was already morning. I was lying on a clinic bed, and they said I had been resurrected. The winged corpse of the duchess was being displayed in the town market. Mr. Skyl had already ridden away before sunrise. I heard there was even a demon's head hanging from the back of his saddle."
Livia held her breath, then asked softly, "So the rumor was true? That duchess really was a succubus?"
"Not entirely. There were two duchesses. One was the succubus in disguise, while the real Lady Morwen knew nothing about it."
"Then how was the succubus exposed? It had something to do with Skyl, didn't it?"
"That's right. I only heard about this from others afterward. Mr. Skyl arrived in Daggerford nineteen days ago. He didn't have a coin to his name. They say he had given all his money away as charity. To earn money, his companion told stories and sang in the tavern, while he provided martial training to the militia. But he also taught children their letters. He understood magic, and he was willing to teach everyone. He was a very good person."
When Livia heard this, her mood somehow became extremely good. Her impression of Skyl had always been mysterious, distant, and difficult to approach. She had never expected him to appear vividly in other people's real lives, and from the sound of it, he was a capable and kind adventurer.
A faith founded by a good person was probably also inclined toward good.
So she asked Bordon to tell her more about Skyl's deeds in Daggerford.
Daggerford was an agricultural community with a long history. A thousand years ago, humans had established the Kingdom of Delimbiyran in this region. Several centuries later, a white dragon and a silver dragon fought above the kingdom. The aftershock of their battle destroyed Delimbiyran, and the white dragon fell from the sky.
A surviving duke of the kingdom moved his entire family to the area that was now Daggerford, and the place was named after his own experience. The duke had once been nothing more than a commoner involved in trade. When he was young, he had fought six lizardfolk with a single dagger, protecting his family and their wagon. This heroic reputation allowed him, after growing up, to successfully marry the daughter of a duke of the kingdom. It could be said that he married far above his station.
Daggerford's history was not peaceful. Although it was only a small place, it had faced many great crises. There had once been devils from Baator who invaded, intending to slaughter the entire town and harvest its souls, only to be banished through the wisdom of the duke at the time.
Later, a demon army pouring out of nearby Dragonspear Castle attacked, and an allied force of humans, elves, and dwarves defended Daggerford. Several decades ago, the evil and powerful Zhentarim conspired with devils and demons to secretly control Daggerford, but the plot was later thwarted by a party of adventurers.
The local residents had survived in this perilous historical environment and managed the place with vigor and spirit, even hoping to develop Daggerford into a second Waterdeep. The adult residents here could all adapt to work as guards, soldiers, and adventurers. They could truly be called a people rich in martial spirit.
The clear summer sun baked the packed-earth road of the Trade Way until it was hot. Daggerford militia stood guard at the town gate with spears in hand, while merchant caravans coming and going parked their wagons on the open ground outside town. The merchants pushed handcarts into town to trade, all to avoid paying vehicle and livestock fees.
Two small dots appeared on the northern horizon of the road, blurred by the heat waves. Only once they came closer could people see that they were two riders. Their mounts were a white horse, flashy and bright, and a chestnut horse, like a smoldering fire.
The blond man riding the white horse was playing a guitar, scattering his cheerful song all over the road. The other man, black-haired and dressed in a white robe, simply sat quietly on horseback and read a book, calm as an old priest.
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