Part 58 (Patreon)

As she entered, she saw Shelgrish continuing to spank the teary-eyed Nimue, and questioning her about the keystone. Although Glasha didn’t really take pity on the bruised-butted spellcaster, she didn’t want Auntie Grish wasting her time.

“Grishy, Miri, stop! I found the keystone.” Rylenka looked at her sister, concerned, “What happened to you?” “Not now, look at this book! Or…this one?” “Where are your glasses?” “Broken, in my backpack.  But listen to me. You know the necklace mom gave me?”

Rylie frowned, “Yeah, I remember being so jealous.”

“It’s a keystone! And the other was this fatass mage’s pendant that I took from her. It’s…well, half a keystone.”

“Half a keystone?” said Miri, looking at the open book, then looking away, unable to read the ancient language contained in it. “Yes, this book, or…that one, I can’t see, one of the big ones anyway, tells the story of how one of the keystones was sundered. So, thanks to my finding the library (she gestured to the pile of books she brought) we went from no keystones to one and a half.”

“Brilliant!” Miri said. “I’m proud of you, Glasha,” said Shelgrish. “Good going, sis!” Rylenka said, following the others.

In spite of the situation with her spectacles, Glasha was beaming. The Shellmaw clan had told her over and over that reading was useless, and that she should train with sword and axe instead. If only they had been there to see her!

“Well good for you!” said Nimue, bitterly. “You’ve found it. You’ve taken my pendant, my books, my dignity. Are you finally going to tell this ox of a woman to let go of me now?”

Shelgrish grinned, before laying another hard smack on the mage’s large and frightfully bruised backside. “Eeeee!” Nimue squealed, “Curse you! May you never find what you seek. May your Wardshells fall and your realms be conquered!  Just wait.  I will have my revenge!”

Shelgrish pushed the mage off her knee, and she squealed again as she landed on her bruised backside.

“What’s more,” Glasha said, “is that this keystone must have been giving her a good part of her power. She’s much weakened without it.” “Well good,” said Rylenka, “I found this long, strong rope. What say we have some fun in leaving her for the Bleakmorne forces.” She looped the rope through the legs at one end of the table, while Shelgrish bent Nimue over the other end of the table. They then secured her hands and feet, so she was tied bent over the table.

“You can’t leave me like this!” she protested. “Why not,” Rylenka quipped, “you have plenty to eat and drink…well, if you could reach it. I hope those reinforcements come let you out quick, because this stuff is gonna smell in a couple days.” As if reflecting on what she said, Rylenka grabbed a couple pieces of the chicken on the table and shoved them into her mouth. “Anyone else hungry?” “I wouldn’t mind a piece of that cake,” Glasha mused.

Miri laughed, “Go ahead, I’m just going to finish up here.”

Dipping her finger in the mud, she wrote on the broad, bruised backside Nimue presented in her bent-over posture. Looking at her handiwork, she smiled. “OK…let’s go. They could arrive and free these four anytime.”

Glasha finished stuffing her face with cake quickly, and Rylenka had finished all the chicken but a single drumstick. Glasha grabbed the pile of books, as Miri and Rylie looked down the corridor to find the chest where their armor and weapons were stored.

As they walked away from the keep, fresh with the knowledge of one and a half keystones, Glasha looked at Rylie. “What did you do with that last drumstick?” The sister smiled, mischievously. “You did NOT!” “I DID.”