Eberron: End of Chapter 1 (part 1)

As Tosh watched Zhen go, he made the decision that he couldn't give up Melendra (Tess's little elf sister) to the dragons, but that meant he had a bigger problem. He had less than three hours to find Tess herself, and bring her before the dragons.

Thirty minutes later the group marched up to a Finder's Guild office and bribed their way in. Tosh had Tess's double-bladed scimitar and the mirror the halfling chieftan gave her. Tosh gave the items over to the House Thrashik halforc and he used a crystal ball to scry on her.

He said she was in horrific pain...that she was laying on a bed, with a snake-man hovering over her....that she was in a church of the silver flame....and with a satisfied look he stepped back from the crystal and said "She's down in the old temple district.". Tosh didn't need to know any more than that.

We hurried down to the church and reached it with less about an hour to spare. On the way Tosh signaled Zhen and Antonius d'Orien, our new ally looking for Tess. Antonius immediately teleported to our location.

As we went in, we saw the snake-man and an elven brother and sister standing over Tess's bedside. Tosh immediately rushed towards the bed, but was brought up by the elves. The woman's hands started to glow with a dark purple light, and a white light erupted from Tosh's hand as his Soulblade manifested. Guage stepped forward as did the snake-man, but Tosh realized something....all of them were not moving to attack...but were standing between Tess and us. Then he caught the symbol of the Silver Flame on the snake-man's armor and had to act quickly. He stopped Guage and started talking. A VERY tense peace ensued, as Tosh was finally allowed past to see her. Tess was in so much pain she was unaware of her surroundings, and did indeed look like she was about to have the baby, but she was very very pale.

The snake-man reverted to human form and came up to Tosh. He leaned in and whispered "The baby's growth rate is not possible...so it is pulling her life force into itself to sustain it.

Tosh looked back at the elven girl and motioned for her to come up. She hurried to the bedside and sobbed as she finally laid eyes upon her sister. Raza came up on the other side and incanted a spell that for a moment or two, took enough of Tess's pain away that she could focus. She looked up to see her sister's face and smiled. Tess was convinced she was still hallucinating as she saw an elf that looked so much like her, but out of the shadows of memories, a name came to her.

"M...Melendra?"

Tears streaked down Melendra's face as she smiled "Yes Tessandria, I'm here."

"B-but...I don't have a...sister.... And w-why are you an elf?" Tess's almost-calm tone was because she still doubted her perceptions.

"You DO have a sister. And a mother and father who love you and miss you very much. So rest...and get through this."

A contraction hit Tess, and the priestess, who had protected her for the last eight years, started shooing people out of the room. Pai Mei, Raza and Melendra were allowed to stay and help, and the rest of us were manhandled out of the room to the front of the church. Guage was the last to go before Tosh. He looked at Tess steadily. It almost seemed like he was...sad. He glanced at the priestess and said "I will not allow anyone inside." and turned to leave. Tosh followed him quietly out.

With nothing to do but wait, discussions were awkward....even when Captain Drace came down from the ship to see how she was doing. A story was told of an amulet in Xen'drik that was once owned by the dragons that would make it impossible for others to see its wearer...and Tosh and the half giant made a resolution to look into it for Melendra. Tosh told the captain of his intentions to take Tess to see the dragons no matter what happened, and shared that she was fated to become the queen of the demon lord Tegarius after she had died. He wanted the dragons to make sure she couldn't be taken and brought back as an undead.

Tosh knew the demon would be coming for his wife and son.

Inside, Tess grabbed Raza's arm and begged her not to let Zethys (the snake man) kill her son. She begged Raza to give him a chance. Raza, who had been making the decision whether or not to kill Tess since the two had met...slowly....RELUCTANTLY...

.nodded once.

Tess felt the baby drop, and the pain returned in full. Refusing to pass out or die until she'd seen him...until she knew he was safe...Tess screamed and Pai Mei hurried Melendra out of the room to get some warm wet towels. Once the girl was gone, she leaned over Tess and whispered. "Things don't have to go this way.... If you want, I can take him away from all this. I can keep him safe. His father won't be able to touch him."

Tess stopped. Her world stopped. "How...? W-where?"

"I can't say that right now...but I can't do it unless you ask it of me. Do you want me to take him?"

"Will he...will he be safe from everybody who wants to hurt him?"

"Very safe."

"Will he be able to make his own decisions in life...and grow up the way he wants to?"

"I swear it."

With tears in her eyes, she nodded almost imperceptibly.

"Then it is done."

Pai Mei's voice sounded a bit ominous, but another contraction hit and Tess was lost in the pain.

Minutes passed, each one an eternity for her. She was drowning in pain, and beyond it couldn't feel anything on her body. She couldn't move her arms and legs, as a cold numbness set in. Then she heard it. A high pitched scream echoed through the room. A baby's cry.

Raza was smiling as she carried up a bundle wrapped in a sheet. She looked at Tess and said "He's beautiful."

"B-but...is he.... Can I see him?"

Raza tipped him towards Tess and she looked upon her son. A normal, human-looking baby boy. Relief flooded through her and she felt no more pain. Tears streamed down her face as she smiled at Raza and whispered "Thank you...".

And then she let go.