[IC] The Narrow Path

[Gardevoiran]

\~ CHAPTER TWO ~/

Secondi Brook and Beyond!

The whole team, consisting of you, Gobbo, Brock, and Jen, stands at the entrance to Secondi Brook. You can clearly see the town is small, barely consisting of a few buildings and a bunch of houses off to the side. Nevertheless, the buildings it does have are quite large. You can see the inn called "The Sleeping Bear", a few general goods stores, a single blacksmith, and the main attraction. "Mags and Aith's Arcane Wares!", the sign above a good-sized building reads, in golden paint, with small handprints dotting the bottom of the sign.

From what you can see, a lot of the town consists of elves, half-elves, humans, and dwarves. A few passerby sent Brock and Gobbo a dirty glare as they arrived, the glare subsiding when Jen walked up as well. Seems like a higher-up paladin like herself is highly respected here, enough so to the point where undead and goblins are ignored.

That's besides the point. You're here to learn spells, dammit! And get wenches! SPELLS FIRST TO IMPRESS THE WENCHES!

[Skinner35]

"Jen, if you would book us in the inn, while I look around." He said with a nod as he walked and saw the Arcane shop sign. "Gobbo, here it is." He said as he looked at Gobbo. Then, Gobbo nearly screamed with excitement and sprinted into the door of the shop, forgetting to open the door.

[Gardevoiran]

Jen and Brock enter the inn to book a room or two while Gobbo and you head to the magic store.

You attempt to open the door, only to find it locked. A sign is on the door, reading 'Closed due to circumstances'. Circumstances? Probably bad ones, considering that a store wouldn't close without a vague message if a wedding was going on.

"I-I'm sorry," A clearly feminine voice speaks behind you as you try to open the door. "We're closed for right now."

[Skinner35]

He quickly turns to see the source of the voice. "I apologize, we were only looking for the owner of this store." He quickly said.

[Gardevoiran]

"O-Oh! I can find her for you!" The girl behind you says as she turns around once, then turns around again, doing a 360 degree turn in total. "I'm Magdalene. Well, Maggy for short. I'm sorry that our store isn't open right now. I can't work it alone."

Maggy isn't really that much shorter than you, but she definitely is a good inch or three. She sports a very petite yet tall frame with mid-length auburn hair. A single green eye looks at you with apology while the other you assume does the same behind the eyepatch she wears. She's actually quite attractive despite the scars you can see underneath her top and on the side of her cheek. From her bag alone, you can easily tell she loves magic of all kinds. Hell, even necromancy judging by a small book she has. "What brings you to Secondi Brook?"

[Skinner35]

"Well, my friends and I are residing in the inn for the night. Also, my friend Gobbo would like to learn more advanced magic. I hope that you can help." He says with a smile as he steps to the side, revealing the goblin.

[Gardevoiran]

"Aww a goblin! Adorable!" Maggy says energetically as she bends over to hug Gobbo. "I don't understand why goblins get a bad rep. I think they're great." Maggy stands back up as she looks at your figure, sizing you up and down to see what you can do. "... you seem like you can handle yourself. Think you can help me with a more... personal issue? I-I'd give your friend here free lessons!"

You can barely hear some cheering in the inn while you talk. Something good is going on there, it would seem.

[Skinner35]

Not quite knowing how to react to her, he noted the inn's cheer, knowing that this was going much better than he expected. "Uh, I suppose that I could help." He said, hesitantly.

[Gardevoiran]

"Great!" Maggy said cheerfully when a certain paladin walked out of the inn pinching the bridge of her nose in annoyance. "My father, Aithwale, left a few days ago to go and run to the city for some goods, but the cubs of the forest told me he's in trouble. I closed the shop early to go and find him. I could really use the company, especially with what he's capable of."

Jen began to walk to your side before she stopped, noticing what you were doing. A soft smile appeared on her face as she stood at the patio of the inn, watching you from afar.

[Skinner35]

"Aith? That name sounds familiar." He said, beginning to walk beside her after she stared at him, Gobbo following closely. "Jen, get some rest. You'll need it." He said to her, continuing to walk.

[Gardevoiran]

"It is hard enough to even think in there. Brock tried to get our group nicer rooms with a drinking contest. He's trying to out-drink the entire bar. Where are you going?" Jen explained before Maggy chimed in. "He's coming to help find my dad!" She definitely seemed happy about it.

MEANWHILE, IN A BANDIT STRONGHOLD...

An old man lay, his stomach riddled with bruises and cuts, made even worse by the visible bootmarks on his chest. He was mostly naked, save for his ripped trousers and his silver cuffs that kept him restrained.

A half-orc walks up to the old man and begins to downtalk him. "That ol' man was roight. Y'really ain't shet, an' you'll doie th'same way." The half-orc's ax sits tightly in his grip, prepared to find itself within the chest of the old man on the floor before him. "I'unno whoy Yashah wointed m'ta kill ye, bot ahm glad t'd'it."

The orc's head perked up when he heard the screams of an unfamiliar voice. "Fer' th'luv o't'Gods, I gotta handle dat'. Wait roight 'ere."

[Skinner35]

"Yes. We should be back by the morning." He said to Jen, trying to ignore the part about Brock. He continued to walk beside Maggy. "So, where was he the last time that you saw him?" He asked, trying to figure out where he could've gone.

[Gardevoiran]

"He was going on a trip to the nearby city for our shop, checking on our savings. He hasn't come back since." Maggy explained as she led the way towards the city you came from, casting a spell between her hands. "I'm afraid bandits got a hold of him. Normally I wouldn't be afraid, but tonight..." Maggy trailed off as she looked towards the sun, almost setting over the horizon. "W-We need to get moving."

The spell Maggy was casting flew up into the air before finally splitting apart into some kind of red mist. The mist hung in the air for a few seconds before flying off into the woods. "That way."

[Skinner35]

He followed her, only half listening as they walked. Then she started running, and he followed behind. "Who exactly is your father?" He asked, trying to figure out what problems he would have with bandits.

[Gardevoiran]

"A good man!" Maggy dodged the question as you and her ran through the forest. Gobbo turned to run back to the inn. He'd be better suited to not be on this mission. Plus, he'd like to try and learn some skills from Brock and Jen if that was possible. It looks like you and Maggy were going solo.

You enter a small clearing in the forest, a large bandit camp in sight. It wasn't well made, but it was now on alert since the mist slammed into the top of one of the shelters that sat in the camp. Maggy's hand held a green bubble of acid as she spoke to you once more before you two were going to run into that camp and save her father. "What can you do?"

[Skinner35]

He stopped beside her, looking at the camp. Then he formed fire, covering his arm, and drew one of his pistols. "What ever you need me to." He said with a smile and a wink.

[Gardevoiran]

"What...?" Maggy is taken aback by the wink before shaking it off. "N-Nevermind... let's go get my dad before nightfall."

You can clearly see a few entry points that are able to fit you, but if you can get through them undetected is unknown. There's a small little crack between the walls in a spot where a log hasn't been put, a cave underneath the structure heading into the fort, and the trees above the fort with a few vines hanging down. You could also make your way down. It's your path to take.

[Skinner35]

He decides to go through the crack, directly into the fort, as he pulls out his machete in his robot hand, covering it in fire. "Maggie, tell me when and I'll begin the ground attack."

[Gardevoiran]

"Do it when you think the best time is. I'm going in to find my dad," Maggy said as a dark blue aura surrounded her before she vanished in front of you. She knew how to cast invisibility? That was a rare illusion spell.

You clearly hear over the wall the speech of the bandit leader. "Wus goin' awn?"

Then a lesser bandit. "S-Sir! Someone's trying to get in!"

"Well, kill 'im! D'ya need meh t'do it fer' ya?!"

"N-No sir!"

"GUD! Make sure he duzzn't git pas' my rum. I dun' wan' t'use m'new ax!"

[Skinner35]

As soon as he heard about the ax, he got excited. He launched his arm through the wall, making a huge crash, surely killing or damaging whoever it hit.