Ella Vain collapsed and within moments was in a deep slumber. Raam felt the rhythm of her softly breathing against his chest.
He would not have imagined that one so meek in demeanor would be so potent in the bedchamber. It amused him to think that it was not his title or wealth that excited her, it was the magic. Casting a simple cantrip to outline her body in faerie flame sent her to unbelievable heights of passion.
The scene was a welcome moment of relaxation after the recent confrontation at Oleg’s. Raam smirked in silent satisfaction at the thought of Chase’s arrow piercing the heart of that worm, Marson. The slow trickle of blood from his lips and the look of panic brought on by fear of imminent death were of great satisfaction to the young Baron. That slap suffered long ago in Restov at the hands of Marson’s lackey had smoldered within him for months. To see Marson and his vampire concubine slaughtered in their own trap…
Raam smiled and ran a hand gently through Ella’s long, soft brown hair.
“Fizz…” Raam said the name silently to himself. The damn fool elf was constantly reminding him of the short lifespan of his human companions and then he gets himself killed. Preparations were already underway to have clerics find his soul in the afterlife and usher it back within his well-preserved body.
Fizz’s death was an important lesson for them all. Power can lead to recklessness. They all had a great deal to lose and should be judicious in safeguarding their lives. Without their leadership, this land might once again fall into the hands of bandits and wolves.
Raam shifted slightly upward, moving Ella gently as he sat up in bed. He waved his hand and a small light blinked into existence above his head. The warm, soft glow of the light allowed him to read the thick leather-bound tome he pulled off of the nearby bed stand. The book, entitled ‘A Compendium of Draconic Activity of the Riverlands’ had been compiled by a now deceased Pathfinder years ago. His agent had found the dusty tome in a run down bookshop in New Stetven only last week. The information within had been very enlightening.
As he scanned the pages he reflected on his own breakthroughs of the last few days. On the night he returned from Oleg’s, Raam fell into an exhausted meditation. He was still feeling the effects of the spell used in slaying the Vampiress. The intensity of the ray of flame had cut the undead devil in two. The spell-fire had burned brighter and with more intensity than any he had ever summoned.
In that night’s meditation he had a vision of himself blinking out of existence; his body and all of his possessions simply disappearing from sight. Upon awakening from the trance he found that the power had been carried over from his dreams!
He had tested his newfound ability the next day while walking through the keep. With a moment of concentration he simply disappeared from sight. No reflection was returned to him in the mirrors lining the great hall. No bows from the servants as he passed. He heard private conversations, watched the guards discussing a recent encounter at the brothel, and peered into the busy kitchens, all the while completely unseen.
“The power to disappear from sight,” he reflected. “What would be next?”
