In the Demi Plane in a No-Magic Zone: Paige and Tom, on foot, are nearing the area known as “the Olive Grove”. It’s just a few yards in front of them. It’s over 100 acres. The sound of battle can be heard from within the grove.
“My dears, I would not go in there if I were you. You might not ever come out,” Lu’I’enday appears near Tom and Paige. Just then, the Wild Boys/Highwaymen ride up behind Paige and Tom. Eight, rough-looking characters from somewhere between America’s Old West and 19th century British, mounted thieves. Amongst them is an orc dressed somewhat like a Native American from the 19th century southwest.
A dusty, thirty-something-year-old starts talking, “Well, liddle Ruby Red, looks like you an’ your friend here ain’t got no where ta go.”
“Well, that’s not entirely true”, Lu’I’enday.
Dusty, “Awwe hell, you ain’t gonna listen ta him, are ya?”
Paige, turning to Lu’I’enday, “You timed it this way, didn’t you?”
Lu, “Correct me if I’m wrong but I did, at some earlier time, when you were not under duress, make an offer for you and Thomas. Did I not?”
Dusty, “Shucks, liddle Red, you ain’t gonna make a deal with him, are ya? You let him loose back in the mortal world there’s no tellin’ what that devildy son-of-a-bitch will do.”
Lu, “I beg your pardon!”
Dusty, “Now listen lil’ girl, you know if you go in there you ain’t gonna make it,” gesturing toward the grove. “He ain’t gonna make it”, pointing to Tom. “Hell, he wouldn’t last six seconds in there. You, well you bein’ just a liddle thing, you might make an hour, maybe. But you ain’t gonna make it six hours, an’ that’s what you got ‘til sundown. Sa how bout this: you come play with me an’ the boys here, an’ we’ll let yer fat frien’ go. Hell, we’ll give ‘em water an’ grub fer a few days an’ let ‘im walk outta here. You know that’s the best deal yer gonna get. Ya know that, right?”
Lu, “Thomas, she can’t use her powers here. That means she isn’t the one that makes the decisions, you can.”
Paige, “Don’t listen to him.”
Lu, “Take my offer, I’ll get you both out of here.”
Paige, “Shut up.”
Lu, “Neither of you have to die.”
Paige, “Shut up!”
Dusty, “Times wastin’, Ruby Red, whatchu gonna do?”
Tom, quickly to Lu, “If we summon you into the mortal world you promise not to hurt anyone or anything?”
Paige, “No!”
Lu, “I promise.”
Tom, “I accept your offer.”
Lu, “Well done.” Tom and Paige reappear on a stretch of tawny sand surrounded by gentle turquoise blue waters in all directions as far as the eye can see.
Paige, “Bullocks! Damn you.”
Tom, “Hey, where the hell are we?”
P, “Back on Aeris, somewhere.”
T, “He didn’t take us back to Avenmare?”
P, “You didn’t ask.”
T, “He’s just gonna leave us here?”
P, “No. We have an hour to summon him. If we don’t summon him in that time we will be automatically transported back to where we were.”
T, “So if we summon him, he comes here and then what?”
P, “Maybe, probably, he’ll take us where we want to go.”
T, “Okay. I’ll summon him,” just as Tom is about to say the devil’s name Paige blasts Tom with a sphere of lightning that cuts thru him and sends what is left of his body several yards into the water. Paige looks at what’s left of Tom floating in the water, turns, and begins to walk down the sandbar in the opposite direction. She gets to the end of the sandbar and begins to mentally prepare herself for her return to the Demi Plane. About a moment later Paige whips around as she hears “Lu’I’enday” in Tom’s voice and sees Tom all in one piece, albeit with most of his clothes burnt off, standing in the shallows near the sandbar. Just then, the devil pops into view, standing in the middle of the sandbar. He looks at Tom, “Well what . . .” looks at Paige, “Lovers’ quarrel?” Paige shoots the devil a dark look. Lu’I’enday, turning back to Tom, “Yes, well. A deal’s a deal. Where would you like to go?” Tom, trudging out of the water, “the Capital of Avenmare.”
Lu, “I’ll set you two just a little ways outside of the Capital. The Academy, you know. Mages,” and points to Paige. Paige turns her head slightly at the remark. Instantly Tom and Paige are in the countryside about a mile outside the Capital of Avenmare, no Lu’I’enday to be seen. Before Tom can speak Paige makes the hand gestures to cast a spell of charm on Tom, but it seems to have no effect. Paige, “Hmm.”
Tom, “Hey, what the . . .” Paige makes the hand gesture for sleep and Tom slumps to the ground.
When next Tom awakes he finds himself gagged, bound, and hanging upside down a few feet off the ground in what appears to be some barn or outbuilding. Paige hears Tom making a fuss, stands up and goes over towards him. Standing a couple of feet in front of him, “I have many questions for you, Mr. Pardino. Let’s start with the most pressing one – how is it you’re not dead?”
