"Roll, damn your bones!" shouted the barbarian. Volo could swear he saw a fire glowing in the pits of his opponent's eyes.
Volo slid the dice into the mug, gripping the handle as if it might escape. He hesitated for a moment, then flung the mug full force at his opponent as he dodged sideways.
The barbarian raised a hand to fend off the missile and threw the deer knife across the table. The knife buried itself several inches into the door, but Volo had made his exit through the second-story window.
The barbarian stood up and retrieved his knife. That's when he spotted the dice on the floor beside the ale mug. Double sixes.
With a roar, the barbarian ran from the room, determined to chase down and destroy the fiend before it wreaked worse havoc.
Limping on a twisted ankle and shivering in the warm Elturel night, Volo whimpered a chiding prayer to the goddess Tymora. "Lady, what were you thinking, to waste so much good luck on me?"
ACT TWO SCENE 2
Once Joel, Jas, and Emilo had bathed and changed into clean clothes, they joined Finder out in the garden for a light supper. Over the meal, Emilo asked to journey with them to meet Tymora, and Finder acquiesced. When they finished off the wine, they made a chain with their hands, and Finder teleported to Brightwater with them.
They arrived in the middle of a broad avenue and were nearly run over by a pair of horses, each ridden by a young woman in a nightgown. Finder pulled the adventurers off to the side in the nick of time. One of the horses, startled by the sudden appearance of the adventurers, fell a length behind the other.
Joel gave a low whistle of relief. He looked around in astonishment as he followed Finder up the street.
All about them, the town of Brightwater glittered in the setting sun. Joel couldn't remember having seen so much gilt in a city before. Great mansions sported golden domes like the Gilded Hall. Each of the stores and taverns featured some architectural aspect to attract the eye- gaudy statues, magnificent fountains and archways, charming stained-glass windows, structures with unusual, even impossible shapes. Even the meanest of shacks displayed some touch of trim that gleamed with the look of a precious metal or stone.
His eyes wide with wonder, Emilo whispered, "Even the streets are paved with gold!"
Finder chuckled. "It's only an illusion. Gold streets wouldn't last long. Gold is too soft a metal. Here we are. The Hall of Chance." The god stepped through a marble archway and seemed to disappear. Hastily the others followed.
They found themselves in a vast room opulently decorated with red carpeting and crystal chandeliers. Crowds of people stood or sat about tables of polished obsidian playing every game of chance known to the Realms, including some games Joel had never seen before. Their ears were assaulted with the din of the gamblers' voices. Some were calling out wagers; others announced the outcomes of freshly rolled dice; still others called for extra cards to be dealt. Within a minute, though, the din had subsided to a hushed murmur as the gamblers turned their attention from their games and focused on Finder and his party.
As Finder moved forward, people stepped aside until there was a clear path between him and a table at the back of the room. Seated at the table, on a high stool, was a slender woman with short, dark hair. She wore a short, gold-trimmed tunic of white satin, a brown leather vest, and high leather boots, which hugged a pair of shapely legs. A slender silver coronet encircled her head and glittered in the light. The woman turned about on the stool as Finder approached.
Joel would have known her for the goddess of good fortune were she dressed as a scullery maid. The songs of her grace and charm were not exaggerated. The bard could understand immediately why Finder put so much faith in her. Joel himself was instantly smitten, and he halted in his tracks a little afraid of how eager he felt to approach her. Jas remained beside Joel as Finder continued forward. Undaunted, Emilo followed close on the heels of Joel's god.
Three paces before the goddess, Finder stopped. He made a very low and formal bow, then stepped up to accept the hand that Tymora held out to him. He brushed his lips against her fingertips.
"Finder, you reckless fool," the goddess greeted him. She ran her hand over the god's beard and tugged playfully at it. "What mischief have you been up to? I have heard the most alarming and unbelievable stories," she teased. "Since you know me, lady, you no doubt believe them," Finder replied.
"Oh, yes," Tymora agreed.
Emilo laughed.
Tymora leaned to one side to get a better look at Emilo. "And who is this gentleman?" she asked.
"My lady, allow me to present Emilo Haversack of Ten-grapes," Finder said.
Emilo imitated Finder's bow. "Pleased to meet you, lady," he said when he'd risen.
"And how did you come to be in the entourage of this godling rogue, Mr. Haversack?" Tymora asked the kender.
"Well, first I stepped through a magical vortex to the city of Sigil. That's where I met Jas and Joel. Joel offered to bring me to Finder so he could help me to go home, but when Joel and Jas said they were coming here, I asked to come with them so I could see you, too," Emilo replied. "I'd never met a goddess before-that I know of, anyway. But having met you, I realize it would be hard not to know, since you just seem to shine…"
Tymora laughed softly and the babbling kender's voice trailed off.
"Does Mr. Haversack refer to Joel the Rebel Bard?" Tymora asked Finder. "Your very young and very talented protege?"
Finder motioned for Joel to step forward. The bard joined his god and bowed before the goddess. "I am Finder's very charmed protege, lady," Joel said.
Tymora laughed with delight. "Finder has told me so much about you," she said, "though he failed to mention how very handsome you are."
Joel felt his cheeks warm as they flushed with color.
"And the last member of my entourage I believe you know," Finder said, motioning toward Jas.
Jas remained frozen in place. Joel could sense the anxiety and anger in her.
"Yes," Tymora said softly, sliding off her stool. She strode forward and stopped just before the winged-woman.
Uncertainty gripped Joel. Although he'd told Jas that making this visit was her decision, he'd given her every reason in its favor without really knowing how Tymora felt about Jas.
Then Lady Luck kissed Jas on the forehead and said, "Welcome to Brightwater, Jasmine. You have grown since last we met."
Joel breathed a silent sigh of relief.
Jas bowed her head and muttered a reply that Joel couldn't hear. Tymora took the winged woman's arm. "Let's go out into the garden, shall we? Finder, you can follow behind with these gentlemen," the goddess said, nodding at Joel at Emilo. "Winnie, will you bring us refreshments?" she requested of a halfling priestess seated at a nearby table.
"My pleasure," the priestess replied. She laid down her hand of cards-four queens and a goddess-and hurried off.
Tymora led Jas from the Hall of Chance. Finder followed in Lady Luck's wake, and Joel and Emilo brought up the rear.
The garden was a hodgepodge of plantings, as if someone had just thrown seeds anywhere and left them to thrive or not on their own. In the deepening twilight, Joel could discern no real paths. Tymora just picked her way through some of the shorter growth. Tymora stopped beside a wooden bench beneath a birch tree. The tree's white bark seemed to glow in the light of the rising moon, and the stars twinkled through the slender branches. Fireflies sparked all around them. The goddess sat down on the bench, with Jas at her side. Finder settled on the ground at Tymora's feet, and Joel and Emilo did likewise.
"Your parents were great favorites of mine," the goddess told Jas. "So passionate, so daring. It really irritated me to learn that their daughter was traveling with a weasel like Chaos Carter."