Donovan just blinked. "Val?" He exclaimed, not sure what to make of this, the sight of his sister in these cultist robes. "But who...how...what are you..."
"What am I doing here?"
Valorisa chuckled. "Long story, she said, as she slipped out of the robes, revealing that she was wearing a comfortably fitting cotton shirt, a leather jacket, short leather trousers, and boots underneath the disguise. "I'll tell you about it on the way out," she said. "However you have to make a deal with me as well."
"What kind of deal?"
"I need those gauntlets."
"Wha? What fer?" Colin stated suddenly, as he stepped in front of Donovan, eyeing the marten's sister with suspicion. "And answer meh' truthfully lass, because Ah' gave yeh' the courtesy of takin' yeh' both into mah' home, so yeh' owe me at least the courtesy of the truth. Who sent yeh'? Who gave yeh' the mission tah' retrieve the gauntlets? Come on, out with it. We've already dealt with one ne'er-do-well today. How about you tell us why yeh' need them, so we can be sure you don't have ill intentions either!"
"Colin!"
"No, it's fine," Valorisa waved off her brother's defense. "I appreciate you coming to my defense, Donovan. Really. But Colin has every right to ask that question. I did pop up out of nowhere, with no explanation or reason after all. So the least that I owe you, is to at least explain why I want the gauntlets. And first, no. They are not for me. I have no interest in using them, or in reshaping the world, or anything. Nothing, to the degree of what Sheldton, wanted to do, anyway. I simply want one thing. To take them, hide them, and to ensure that no one ever finds them again."
"Oh?"
Colin raised a brow. "And how do yeh' plan exactly tah' do that, if they've already been found once, and on accident at that?"
Valorisa smirked. "Because," she replied. "They'll be hidden and guarded by the only group outside of St. Abbot's original followers, who not only know the secret of what's buried here. But also, why it must remain buried and forgotten. For the good of all Mintara."
"Who..." Colin gasped, as he came to a realization. "You're talkin' about the bloody Da Ji Inari," he snarled. "Pauline the Orator...she was the closest thing Aloysius St. Abbot, ever had to a love. She was entrusted with secrets, none of the others knew. Ah'...Ah' always heard rumors. That when she went back Kitsune no Kuni, she took with her those secrets, which then were passed down through her family, to her children and their children, one of whom became the Kitsune no Kitsune, who promoted the founding of the Da Ji Inari order. Is...Is that how the Da Ji Inari know about this place? About what's hidden here?"
"Yep."
"So...hold on. Does that mean you've joined that bunch of assassins, lass!? But why? Why pray tell, would a nice girl like you go and do such a thing?"
"Because," Valorisa explained with a sigh, as they now were out of the third chamber, and were crossing a bridge which had been raised after the second chamber had been deactivated. "It was me, or your daughter. The council, they sent Renard to collect on the blood debt which had been put out on Maxine."
"What!? They still..."
"Yes. They apparently never let that issue drop. And since Maxine never returned, they intended to take Searciara and raise her amongst the Da Ji Inari, in Maxine's place. Well, I wasn't about to let that child go through that. I've already been through hell and high water, in life Colin. A sacrifice like this, was nothing for me. And besides, Maxine made me a sister of blade and blood, hours before this happened. So it was my right and choice, to stand in for Searciara."
Colin pursed his lips. "Maybe," he replied as they walked across the bridge. "Still, doesn't mean Ah' like the situation. The idea of Maxine makin' yeh' a sister of blade and blood, without consultin' with me on the decision. Of yeh' havin' tah' take on this sacrifice, because ah' was so obsessed with somethin' else, that ah' wasn't there tah' protect mah' own..."
"Colin."
"What?"
"It's fine, really." Valorisa stated as they reached the other side of the bridge. The marten as she rested a paw on his shoulder, smiled and added. "You don't have to blame yourself for anything. I promise, no one is angry about the way things turned. Maxine isn't. Searciara isn't. And I'm certainly not; because for me, making sacrifices for the sake of others has become nothing if not a normal occurrence in my life. So if you think I regret what I did, going down this road to save another from it, or if you think I am angry at you, for being put in this position, think again. I'm not. The truth is, we should only be concerned about one thing, right now. What is going to happen to the gauntlets. Are you going to take them back to Gutgore as you originally planned? Or, now that you know what the treasure is, will you trust in me and in Balan, and will you give them to me so that the Da Ji Inari can hide them once more? This time so that no one, can ever find them again?"
Colin stroked his beard. "Ah'...Ah' want tah' trust yeh'..." he murmured. "Ah' mean...yeh' did sacrifice fer' my own' daughter's well bein', so Ah' feel like ah' can trust your intentions an' what yer' sayin'. Ah've felt that way, since ah' first met you and yer' brother, and ah' don't think that's somethin' that's changed. Especially the way yeh' talk and considerin' the fact that mah' wife was willin' tah' go so far as tah' make yeh' a sister in blade and blood. Ah' just...ah'm scared tah' consider what might happen tah' mah' family, if Gutgore doesn't get the treasure. Ah' wish truly, there was a way to have both. Tah' ensure that Gutgore, may he evah' be cursed, gets his bloody treasure and will be satisfied to the point, that he will leave us in peace. But also, that these gauntlets may be kept somewhere where they cannot be abused, in such a way that the Anaton Covenant had intended."
Donovan, who listened intently, suddenly smirked as if he had an idea. "What if..." he interjected, there is a way?"
"Eh?"
Colin watched as Donovan took one of the gauntlets from Gloriana and the other from Valorisa. "Boy..." the prairie dog murmured, "What in Balan's name, are yeh' up to?" Colin now very intrigued, watched as Donovan worked at the recesses of the gauntlets. The marten with the blade of a dagger, was prying loose each of the stones. Five, which were set at the knuckles. While the sixth on each gauntlet, was placed at the center of the palm.
"Here," Donovan declared as he pulled out the last of these twelve stones. "Now," the gauntlets can be given to Gutgore, without them being a threat to anyone," he handed the gauntlets to Colin. "And their celestial power source can be kept safe from harm by the Da Ji Inari." He handed the stones over to his sister. "I think this solution works for everyone. What do you all think?"
Valorisa looked at the stones in her hands and smiled. "I think...this'll work fine," she replied. "The Da Ji Inari never specified how the gauntlets had to be returned. They just wanted to ensure the threat the gauntlets posed, was eliminated. Without the stones, Donovan is right. They're just a pair of golden paper weights, as far as anyone who wants to use them is concerned. If Colin wants to present them to Gutgore that way, I don't have any problem with that. And I don't think, any of my associates will, either."
Colin chuckled. "Sounds like we're in agreement then," he murmured, as they continued on toward the entrance of the cave. The prairie dog, as he led the way back through the raging torrent of water which blocked the entrance, then was quite stunned by the sight that greeted him on the other side. And so, could the same be said for Valorisa, Donovan and Gloriana. Who also witnessed a scene, of many Anaton Covenant cultists, which either were dead, trussed up, or who were currently on the brink of surrendering. A display, of how in the duration of their absence, Kysandra and Gemma clearly had wasted no time cleaning things up on the surface.
"Hey!" Gemma called out, in her Norwegian accent, as she kept one eye on a group of cultists. Her axe positioned so they could not move, from where she had them pinned against a cliff side wall. "What happened to you three? Last Kysa and I knew, we were helping to affect the escape of Gloriana. Then we heard screaming in the center of the estate, and after that, the three of you disappeared for several hours. Now you're coming out from behind a waterfall. Where did you go? What happened? And who's the new girl?" The groundhog stated, nodding to Valorisa. "I feel like Kysa and I missed a lot here."
"Oh, you're not the only one," a soft voice interrupted. All eyes suddenly turned, to fixate on Dylan, who came strutting down the walk, with Gutgore and a whole cadre of Hoarfrost's Halberd crew members behind her. A sight which upon witnessing, Colin found himself at a loss for words. For, yes, he was fully aware that Dylan was an agent of Gutgore's. That this whole time, there was an almost absolute chance that she would try to steal the treasure for him. A fact, he'd been prepared for, and had been anticipating this whole entire time. However, what he hadn't anticipated, was for the polar bear and crew themselves to show up. How in Mintara, had she even gotten them here this fast?
Dylan answered this unspoken question, by producing from her pocket the portal stone which Gutgore had given to her at the start of her mission.
Colin growled, when he saw the object. "Of course," he snarled. "A dells blasted portal stone." The prairie dog as he realized what had happened, was mentally kicking himself, for not having the ermine searched. It seemed, in trying to make it look like they trusted her, they had been a little too effective, and had forgot something very important. To search her person for objects that could in the end, be a hindrance to them.
Oh well. It was too late to fix that now. Now, they had to deal with the situation at hand. A situation where on one side, was Kysandra corralling the last of Anaton Covenant cultists. On the other, was Gemma doing the same. And in the middle, was Colin, Valorisa, Donovan and Gloriana, facing down with Dylan, Gutgore and all of his crew. Both sides clearly not planning to budge, until they got what they wanted.
Colin gritted his teeth, as he stepped forward toward the polar bear. "Well..." he addressed the ursan, looking up to him as he crossed his arms. "We did it. Found the treasure with in the time frame yeh' allotted. We didn't cheat, the way you would. We even managed tah' find a proper size party for this quest, even after you tried to give us a handicap, which would make it almost impossible tah' do so. Now...it's yer' turn tah' uphold the deal. An' am not gonna let yeh' squeak out like yeh' did last time, either. We found the treasure. Tell me, have yah' got the stone, which is a sacred relic tah' mah' order?"
The polar bear clenched his fists and growled. "Oh, don't get your fur bunched up," he snarled. "I've got it, I've got it. And yes, I'll give it to you. But first...I need to see it..." he said, a greedy glint in his eye. "I need to see the treasure of St. Abbot for myself. The treasure which for centuries, has eluded even the most renowned of adventurers. The treasure which is mine..." the polar bear who loved to hear himself speak, suddenly found himself at a loss for words, as he received the treasure which had been retrieved from the cave. Those golden gauntlets which shimmered even more brightly in pure daylight, than they had in the filtered light of the cavern. They truly did appear, as if they could only have been forged by the hands of the divine.
Gutgore salivated in awe, at the handiwork of these metal gloves. "Truly...remarkable," he muttered, as he handled them with all the delicacy and reverence they seemed to deserve. "Such handiwork...I'm sure I can fetch a fine price for them. Either from a private collector, or a specialist in early Mintaran artifacts, or someone. Hmm....very well. I'll accept the fact that you all seem to have done a marvelous job. Severus!"
The wolf who Donovan and Valorisa had encountered earlier, and who was the first mate of the Hoarfrost's Halberd, came forward with a small wooden box.
"In this case," the polar bear snarled, as he nodded for Severus to open the box. "I will adhere to my end of the bargain." The ursan in speaking, clearly showed that he was not only rather satisfied with the results of things but was also rather disgusted that his game was over. "The tablet," he snarled as he took the artifact out of the box, "is yours. Still pristine. Still immaculate, and in the condition it was when I received it. Happy?"
Colin looked back at his companions and smiled softly, as he took note how they all seemed to nod in agreement. "Aye," the prairie dog muttered, as he turned back to Gutgore. "Ah' m very happy. Both tah' see that yeh' took proper care of the tablet, and tah' see that fer' once, yeh've proven you know how to fulfill a bargain, without tryin' tah' shyster yer' way out of yer' end of a deal. Now... please begone, yeh white, furry menace. With things settled here, ah' don't mind sayin', that if ah' don't see yeh' again, let it be too soon!" A threat Gutgore replied to, in a most casual fashion. As he chuckled idly, and stated, "Oh, and very much the same to you, Colin Jeremiah Leonard. If we part ways today and I never see or hear from you again, may I consider it a blessing from Calypso, that this be the last time we should cross paths," he growled. The polar bear after having made sure to have declared these final words, nodded for Dylan to use the portal stone once more. A cry of loud and raucous cheers then came from the bear's crew as they followed him back through the portal. Praise ringing out, as they believed just as he, that this apparent victory, would be the start of something new for all of them. A new life of respect, wealth, and power, as they continued to sail and operate across the Polar and Solar Seas.
Colin just chuckled and shook his head, as the last of the Hoarfrost's Halberd, disappeared through the portal.
"Fools," he muttered, as he turned to face his companions, and took what apparently were the real gauntlets, from out of a satchel. "Ah' wonder, what'll happen when Gutgore realizes ah' didn't truly give him the gauntlets. But rather handed off tah' him, a pair of worn old gardenin' gloves with holes in the fingers, that ah' had no use fer' anymore?"
He smiled over at Kysandra. "Ah thank yeh' fer yer' help lass," he said. "Ah' know that request which ah' projected to yeh' through mah' thoughts, was a little sudden. But ah' needed tah' do it somehow, without speakin' it. Otherwise, Gutgore would've caught on."
"Of course." Kysandra nodded with a smile. "I'm just glad it worked," she stated quietly. "Same as you."
Colin smirked. "In any case," he replied. "Ah'm sure the rest of our companions, would probably like to know what we're talking about, and what just happened." The prairie dog with a knowing look, focused his attention in particular, on Donovan, who seemed to have very little clue, as to what was going on. "Yeh' see," he exclaimed, "When ah' saw Dylan had brought Gutgore here, ah knew ah' had two options. One, Ah' could give him the useless gauntlets, and all could be said and done. Or two...ah' could enlist the help of Kysandra, which ah' did, tah' create a mental glamour around my old gardenin' gloves, so that when Gutgore looked upon them, he would think that he was receivin' the real thing, when in actuality, he wasn't."
Now, Donovan smirked. "So..." he stated softly. "You pulled the same thing on him, that he pulled on you, at the start of all this."
"Essentially."
"Very clever."
"Ah' thought so." Colin stated with a chuckle. "Though...ah' should mention, now that our problems with Gutgore are over, there are a few more things we still need to resolve."
"Oh?"
"Mmm-hmm." The prairie dog nodded behind Donovan to the mess of cultists who were either dead or who were tied up. "There's the matter of these fools, for one," he elucidated. "What do we do with them? Do we leave them here? Ah' mean ah' suppose we could. They're right trussed up and incapacitated and can't really do much harm in this state. Plus, not to mention they're out one faction leader, since Sheldton, is probably still passed out down in the cavern."
Kysandra showed alarm at this statement. "Wait, what!?" She exclaimed, as turned toward Colin, an appalled look on her face. For this was the first time she'd heard of this news. "Good prophet twins, who'd you just say was the faction leader of the Anaton Covenant, for this area? My word...Sheldton? I mean, the man always was power hungry, and did think he knew best. But...to actually betray the Pentarchy..."
The otter heiress shook her head. "No," she muttered, "it matters not, the reasoning. What matters, is my cousin chose his side. He chose to be a radical, like all these others. He chose to betray not only his empire, but his family. He was ready to support those who would throw order and peace into chaos and disarray. And this...this I cannot abide. E-Excuse me Colin," she stated. "But seeing as to the seriousness of what I've just heard, I'm invoking my powers as Lod'zhak Advoka, or voice of the Lodge Overseer. I have sent a message in thought to the nearest guards, and have alerted them to the degree of the situation. That not only are members of a cell of Anaton Covenant cultists, to be taken into custody at this location, but that their faction leader, Sheldton Tan, is to be taken into custody as well. May the Triune forgive him." She said, as she bowed and shook her head. Gemma stepping forward, placed a paw on her shoulder, to comfort her. It seemed, this was Kysandra's lot in life. To shoulder responsibilities, she'd rather not have at all.
Colin sighed. He shook his head at the sight, before slowly turning his attention to Donovan and Valorisa. "Now..." he said with a chuckle. "As for you two...Ah' believe Ah' will leave you two in private. Let yeh' say yer' goodbyes, and what not. Because knowin' the Da Ji Inari as personally as Ah' do, Ah' would say it's highly likely, that Valorisa can't stay any longer than is deemed necessary. Isn't that right mah' dear?"
Val shook her head, and smiled weakly. "Unfortunately," she said with a sigh, as she turned to face her brother, "Colin's spot on, as usual. I...I can't stay long Donovan. Though, it's not that I wouldn't love to. I've loved getting to see you again. Getting to see how you've grown and changed, in just this short time since we arrived here. You...you were right. Taking that chance of leaving Jutfaang. Of exploring what was beyond our comfortable home shores, to find whether or not there was something for us on the horizon. Whether...we had the opportunity to grow as individuals and to know ourselves better, once we got here. I know...I rarely say it...but this time, you were right, Donovan. I just...I wanted to say that before I have to go. I don't know if we'll see each other again, but I certainly hope so. I have a feeling we will. Whether for better or worse, who at this moment can say? Heh. I know I've gotten you out of enough fixes. Maybe one day, I'll finally come crying to you for help."
Donovan laughed. "It'd be something to see," he teased. "Though I doubt it. I mean I'd have to get people to look up to me first, and that in itself is a giant hill to climb."
"Oh?"
Valorisa nodded over his shoulder. "I don't think so," she murmured. "Look at what you helped achieve already. You got an Otter and groundhog heiress, representatives of races who traditionally despise one another, to see one another's viewpoint. You gained the respect, of one of Mintara's most renowned clerics, by helping him to recover a relic he thought lost, and by aiding him in a quest no other would dare to attempt. You helped saved one of the five most important otters in Mintara and through that, gained her respect as well..." The female marten smirked, as she clutched Donovan by his shoulders.
"Oh," she murmured, "I believe there are great things in the works, for you dear brother. I can't say for sure what they are, but believe me. Even if it's hard to believe now, I think it'll be just a short time down the road before you and I meet again as very different people. Again, whether for better or worse, I cannot say. I simply for now, look forward to the day I will see you again. Until then, farewell, and take care of yourself, okay?"
"O-Okay..." Donovan nodded slightly, as his sister departed. The female marten as she treaded off, waved goodbye one last time, before she disappeared over the hill, with the Eden stones. A departure, which then brought to a close this grand adventure. As the guards of nearby Port Columbine-Ravenmist Glen, arrived immediately after, to carry out the telepathic orders they had received from Kysandra. She who in a quick in efficient manner, escorted them to the location where all cultists who were not dead, had been tied up and would immediately be arrested. Sheldton included, as Mariana led Kysandra and the guards to the waterfall, and safely down to the tomb of Aloysius St. Abbot, where the disgraced chief of security, was just now coming to. His reaction of course, was sheer shock, when he realized he'd been found out. Swears echoing the whole way, as he was dragged out in irons. The otter screaming how, 'they were all blind to the truth,' and that 'one day the whole Pentarchy would pay, and that this was not the last that they had heard of this issue!' Wild rants, which Mariana and Kysandra pretty much just ignored, as they waved for the guards to just keep walking. The two of them, waved a polite good-bye to the others, as they went with the guards back to town. Kysandra, planning to act with the powers of her mother, to ensure no one escaped, until they could be taken back to Gracebrooke where they would stand trial. And Gloriana simply wanting to get back to her daughter, in Port Columbine-Ravenmist Glen. For she knew Mariana was not only probably very worried for her well being. But also, that she would be elated, to see she'd returned home safely.
After Kysandra and Gloriana, Gemma said her goodbyes as well. She apparently, was already eager to get back to Fortress-under-Blackrock, where she wanted to start sharing her ideas for reasons why the groundhogs should enter into trade talks with the otters. She truly wanted to prove to her fellow groundhogs, that common ground could be found between the true races. That it was time to dispel of these silly prejudices which had kept their peoples suspicious of one another, and which had hindered relations between them for so long.
"I'm also going to have a proper Bitterfrost Ale, not like the swill these lowland regions serve!" she exclaimed, as she turned and waved goodbye, while walking off. "Oh, and I'll be sure to tell everyone while telling my story of this grand adventure, that it's neither the otter nor the groundhog who's superior! It's the marten!" She hollered with a jovial laugh, referring back to the instance where Donovan had first met her and Kysandra. And had not just outdone them physically. But had outdone them mentally, as well.
Donovan just responded to this with a warm smile. "May we meet again Gemma!" He hollered back, as she disappeared beyond the curtain of willow fronds. All companions of the party now having dispersed, Donovan turned to Colin with one question.
"Well, shall we go?"
"Indeed, we shall."
And indeed, they did. Back up the road, toward the burrow where it all began. For that is the way of things. The beginning often leads to the end, and the end back to the beginning. There is no true finite conclusion, only the fact...that the road goes ever, ever on.