return home, so the whole thing is quite simple.” Ilwar was the most concise of the lot.
“I see,” mused Teldin as he sipped on his ale. “Will you be stopping anyplace where there are humans?”
All three nodded in the affirmative, having perfected the new-fangled communication method under Gomja’s command, though Niggil had taken to testing the proper blink rate.
Teldin looked at the cape he still wore wrapped around him. Coming into space still hadn’t let him take it off. The opalescent fabric was the same as ever. Still, he knew now that it was important and that the neogi, or at least some neogi, wanted it very badly.
“Do you want to land someplace, Honorary Captain Teldin Moore of Kalaman?” Ilwar inquired gently, trying not to pressure his human guest. “I would understand if you wanted to go home. Spelljamming may not be your choice for a Life Quest. It is easier for us, for we live to learn and explore.” The old gnome’s insighfful observations surprised the cloakmaster.
Teldin thought about what awaited him on the ground. With Gomja’s sacrifice, going back to Mount Nevermind seemed cold and hollow. Cwelanas was sailing somewhere on the Sirrion Sea. Her eyes and charms tempted him until he remembered the neogi’s leering faces. Teldin sadly realized that he could never go home again-not as long as he wore the cloak. Too many people had died on Krynn to get him this far. Returning now would betray them all.
“I think not,” he explained, smoothing out the blankets with his hands. “There are things out here I need to know, and more that I can learn. No, good admirals, I think it’s time to take the fight to them.” He beamed a huge smile at the three gnomes opposite him.
“Excellent,” Niggil hailed as he hopped to the deck, “now there’s more time to test the cloak!” Teldin Moore felt a sudden twinge of dread as the goggle-eyed gnome sped through the door. “I’ll just go get my equipment!”
