The search proved to be a complete waste of time, unless you happened to like running your fingers through the unspeakable leftovers from an ogre's feast. I don't. By the time we were finished even Belvani who had struck me as being pretty unflappable was looking pretty green. Of course his lizard was unaffected. I even thought I saw it snacking but that might have been my imagination. The search took quite some time as the templars refused to help. Can't say as I could blame them. I could certainly think of hundreds of things I'd rather have been doing. But as I said the search turned up nothing besides our stomach's contents. We exited the charnel house and both Belvani and I recited whatever prayers we knew to placate the restless dead before we torched the damn place. The poor bastards certainly needed whatever guidance Yelm, Yemalio or the Goddess could provide to get to their afterlifes considering the state their corpses were in.
Collecting the templars we headed back to Pavis. I personally was in the mood for and in need of a good long soak at Juli's. I mentioned this to Belvani and he agreed that this was a good idea. Once we were safely past the gate he dismissed the templars and the three of us headed to Juli's. Once we got there Cletus looked dubiously at the lizard but shrugged and let us all in. We had to wait until a giggling group of Ulerian initiates were finished in the hot tub. Watching that would have probably erased every bad memory I had from the day's proceedings but I had to settle with just listenting. Once the tub was free and the initiates had been shepherded out by their watch priestess, who smiled and waved at Belvani who smiled back I ordered an extra long session in the tub for three. Juli who was on the desk again said, "Three?" "Me, the Yemalian and the lizard," I replied. She shrugge and I paid her. They offered to empty and refill the tub but I was tired of waiting and besides how dirty could Ulerian initiates get?
The soak was heavenly despite the fact that Ulerian intiates can get surprisingly dirty. Even the lizard entered the water and hunkered down so that only his eyes, crest and nostrils showed above the water looking like nothing so much as some kind of weird crocodile. Belvani proved to be a man who looked after himself. No excess flesh on him and more than enough scars to prove his warlike virtues. The three of use soaked in silence or scrubbed at our skin until we were as pink as boiled crayfish, well except the lizard that is. I doubted the stench and aura of the ogre's house would be that easy to get rid of though. After a good long soak Belvani turned to me and said, "Now what Treibonus?" I sighed and replied, "Now we pay a little visit to the local office of the Willowgreen Association. I think they have some answers we need."
To be continued (tomorrow).
Oliver
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