Jex wandered the streets till he met up with his traveling companions. He told them of his deal with the small fish boy and that he was trying to awaken Cyanthar. He earned frowns from some in the group and curious glances from others.
Nimer crossed his arms. "So Cyanthar has not awakened into a mortal form, but stealing treasures will awaken him. Where it makes sense, I will not allow you to steal a crown from a shop. That has too much value and will very well get us arrested. We want to avoid the guards, not draw their attention."
"Yes, but don't all the gods need to awaken to claim their kingdoms?" Jex insisted.
"Why yes, I suppose you do have a point," Nimer said, then fell into a deep pit of thought. All eyes were on him as he paced.
Kugruth said, "If we're to get tha crown, maybe we can buy it."
"With what coin?" Nimer asked.
"Aye, not everythin is worth coin, boy. We could do a trade instead," the dwarf informed.
"What do you have that would be worth trading for a crown?" Ray asked.
Kugruth slid his leather pack off his shoulders and placed it on the ground. Opening it, he dug his burly arms into the contents, shuffling them around and making small noises of racket. He then pulled out a warhorn with a metal mouthpiece and an end carved into the shape of an eagle with its mouth open. He closed his pack and swung his bag back over his shoulder.
"This may be worth two crowns if not more," he insisted.
He handed the horn off to Jex, who handled it with care. The boy admired the carvings, running a hand along the etched surface of the horn. He then brought it to his lips and was about to blow through the mouthpiece when Kugruth warned him not to do that.
"You'll make the loudest eagle call imaginable and draw many birds to this location with its magic," the mountain god said with a chuckle.
"Why give it up then?" Jex asked.
"Because, I know what crown the lil goon is lookin fer. It's the Crown of the Drowned King. It's the only artifact besides treasure that can awaken the god of the waters and seas," Kugruth said. "Why it's here in this town, I'm unsure. It must've been imported from the east."
Nimer tapped his chin. "King Thalorin Stormbreaker wore the Crown of the Drowned King. They must already have the Circlet of Eternal Abyss worn by Queen Marella Seafrost. Both treasures are needed to awaken Cyanthar and the king and queen of Valmoria." He raised a finger in the air. "We need to be discreet about this. If there are any followers of Ravathor in the city, there is no telling what may happen if word gets out that the crown of the drowned king is here. The shop may not know what it harbors in its inventory."
"So does that mean the little boy is on our side?" Ray asked.
"He may be or he may not," Nimer informed. "So we will not give him the crown until we are certain he is not here to betray the kingdoms. We may need more information. Without the soul of King Thalorin being awakened, the crown could have devastating effects on Dijnor. Since we don't know where the crown is located in the city, we need to wait until deep into the night to see the effects before we can be certain where it is."
"Aye, I believe that the crown is still embedded with gems from Valmoria," Kugruth said. "But only a god of the kingdom can sense the shards from their key."
"That's news to us," Ray said, looking suspiciously at Nimer.
"I should have been more precise when I said that I can only sense the shards to the Kingdom of Zaniah and not any other kingdom. This is something that even Zinlar doesn't know."
"At least that will make finding the shards harder for Ravathor," Jex said with hope.
"Yes, but there is one god that can sense all shards, and that is Myrkatha, since they made each key to each kingdom," Nimer warned. "If they are working closely with the dark council, there is a chance they can be led to any key for all the kingdoms."
"We'd best awaken Cyanthar then," Kugruth grumbled. If we have a god that can search for the king to the kingdom they guard, it's only right that all the gods awaken." His eyes turned to Kat and then back to Nimer, and he raised a bushy brow.
Nimer snuck a glance at Kat, then looked away quickly. "Since you've awakened, Zarothar has awakened, and Lucine is rumored to have awakened, that leaves Faelira, Thlbera, and Cyanthar."
"Don't forget Albranis," Jex pointed out and patted Nimer on the shoulder.
Nimer frowned. "He'll awaken when he's good and ready."
"He better be soon, or we'll have a problem when we find Zaniah and he's not," Kugruth huffed. "Now about the crown…"
Most of them bantered until they agreed to find an inn to make a base for the night. After traveling through town for a bit, they landed on a central Inn named The Wander's Whistle, where they called home for the evening. The inside was warm and welcoming, while the outside was a bitter sea breeze. With large bowls of stew in their bellies, they found refuse in their rooms where they cleaned up for the night and found their way to bed.
They agreed to take shifts, some staying awake during parts of the night to watch the streets for any unusual activity. Nimer had explained what they might see if the crown of the Drowned King was truly in Dijnor.
"Watch out for wandering souls," he had said.
Ray looked worried as she brushed her hair with a hairbrush. Jex immediately noticed and sat up, even though it was his turn to sleep first. He placed a gentle hand on her shoulder.
"You haven't been yourself lately," Jex commented.
"What do you mean? I'm fine," Ray insisted and leaned in, placing her forehead to his. "I miss home, I miss our farms, and I miss our family. I think this will be the first year we don't get to spend the Night of a Thousand Candles and the Moonfire Revel with the rest of the family. Winterwane will be over before we know it. We've missed so many fall blessings traveling. What if next year lacks luck for us?"
"I don't think it will lack luck, cause I believe that we can produce our own. Maybe while we are here, we can get candles and celebrate Night of a Thousand Candles early. I'm sure Nimer and the others would understand. When I get my money bag back, I can even get you a gift since you lost yours to the cult," Jex said quietly and snatched a kiss from Ray.
Ray smiled, "You're so sweet, but I don't need gifts. I much rather just follow tradition and pray at an alter for our luck. Everything has died and gone to sleep. I don't want either of us doing that." She stole a kiss from Jex's back.
They went passionately back and forth, allowing themselves to slip into loving motions. Jex's hands went to the hem of her shirt, and she pulled away gently, her eyes trailing to the window.
He opened his eyes. "What's the matter?" He turned around and saw what she was looking at.
Light orbs slowly rose from the sea and hovered over the waves. They soon looked like a thousand stars drifting into the air in the cold, dead night. They rose higher, and some even began to morph and shape themselves into human-like forms. They walked the streets in a congruent mass. Ray stood from the bed, adjusting her shirt, and placed a hand on the cool glass, getting a better look at the wandering souls in the dark night.
"Come on," she said to Jex and grabbed his hand. Both of them threw on their hoods and hurried out to the hallway. When they got there, Nimer was waiting for them outside. He held out a hand to stop them from approaching the wandering souls.
"It's just what I feared," Nimer said in nearly a whisper.
"What are all these souls?" Ray asked quietly.
"They are the souls that flow in the waters of Celesthara from the kingdom of Velmoria. They sought he crown because after the king was killed, the crown of the drowned king was cursed so that all his followers who were never put to rest would seek it till he awakened," Nimer informed. "King Thalorin has yet to awaken."
He waved them to follow him. The three of them walked through the streets, weaving in and out of back Alleyways and staying hidden from the souls that wandered the streets of Dijnor till they came to a shop near the heart of town.
Nimer raised a finger toward the glass, pointing to a crown sitting on a statue of a man in the window. The crown was blue with shells and embedded with blue stones. "There it is," he said quietly. "The Cursed Crown of the Drowned King."