[IC] Rites Of Passage (a High Fantasy/Forgotten Realms Adventure)

[Astarael42]

As the children ran only a single enforcer bothered to follow them, but one was more than enough, more than they had a hope of being able to handle. He was fuled by the power of the shadow god, his shadow bound to the god, his body nothing but a shell for the power that now inhabited it. Unnoticed by the kids he was easily able to follow them.

Brisa was doing her best to hang on but she couldn't even ride a horse, and they were built to be ridden. Plus she could tell her friend was tired, she needed to get down...but jumping while in motion seemed to be a bad idea. She was still trying to figure out what to do when the decision was taken out of her hands.

A force hit Argurios from behind, Brisa didn't even see what only knew she was falling and there was nothing she could do about it. She hit the ground with an impact that knocked the breath from her body and nearly caused her to black out. The only thing she managed to do before she fell was to emit a little shriek, and that was it.

Dreknor had found his quarry at last, and he did not hesitate. With superior strength, speed, and endurance, not to mention his holy zeal he feared nothing. Least of all a group of small children. His first move took them by surprise as he barreled straight into Argurios from behind, wrapping his arms about the young half-orc, and tumbling both of them to the ground on top of the unfortunate Brisa.

Brisa couldn't think of of anything save that she was trapped and barely able to breathe, partly from impact and partly because she was half-smothered under bodies. Every breath was agony in her side, she was sure she would pass out soon from the pain.

Dreknor rolled, quick and agile as a cat, off Argurios and leaped to his feet, solid black eyes showing no emotion as he sought not only to stop the children, but to kill without question or remorse.

[Jollan]

Aiden came to a stop between the Agurious and what he considered to be an evil creature in human form. He realized his crossbow was never reset and ready for a bolt so he couldn't use it. He decided to keep the club out, its extra reach may prove more useful than the dagger, and with the dagger fairly out of sight, it may be best to keep it hidden anyway...just in case. "Guys, I don't think we can shake this one," Aiden started, "Ya'll go on ahead, I'll be right behind you."

Aiden took a ready stance. He was determined to fend this thing off. Demon or not, this 'creature' and his ilk are the kind that destroyed everything he knew, and it was about time to start settling some scores.

[Shadowefil]

"Ya'll go on ahead. I'll be right behind you."

The boy was either extremely brave or he had a death wish. It was difficult to tell which. One thing was certain; there was no way he could take on an enforcer all by himself. It was doubtful that they could defeat him together, even outnumbering him four to one. Jatan had seen the invasion of his monastery, had seen seasoned monks' limbs cracked like twigs. Something was not right about these men. They moved faster, hit harder than should be humanly possible.

That's when he recognized the boy's words for what they were - a distraction! He must be giving Brisa and the half-orc time to regain their feet. But Jatan could make use of this distraction too. This guy had to have a weak point somewhere….

There! His eyes! Deep blue, they seemed to hold at bay a deep anger that could come crashing out at any moment, like a violent wave at sea. Blinking. Scanning. Glaring. Vulnerable.

Of course, not all people could be debilitated by blindness. Jatan remembered one particularly challenging exercise the senior monks used to challenge themselves; they fought blindfolded. Edgar was particularly accomplished at this feat. No matter how quietly, quickly, or cleverly his opponent approached, he was somehow able to sense them and send them careening to the floor with a snapping kick or a forceful toss. Still, fighting while blind was no easy task, especially for someone without training. And it was doubtful this enforcer had that training.

It was time to put the theory to the test.

As Dreknor turned his attention towards the boy, Jatan slunk cautiously clockwise, hoping to flank his foe. If the enforcer made a move towards the boy, Jatan would fling himself onto the enforcer's back and attempt to claw at his eyes. It was a risky play, one that could result in serious injury, but Jatan pushed the moment of hesitation out of his mind. Cowardice was not becoming of a follower of Torm. His calves tensed as he rolled onto the balls of his feet, and he sucked in a deep breath...

[orcpunx]

The wind blew softly through the narrow path of the city that the river stream made. Dreknor inhaled slow and long, taking all the information he can get. The soft breeze didn’t help. Though he could smell everything from upstream he could smell very little from downstream. The half-orc was slowly getting back on his feet. There were sure signs of injury and exhaustion radiating from him. Yet Dreknor was not satisfied. He was hoping to knock out the half-orc. Seemed he was more resilient than he thought. The girl seemed to be half concusses, but Dreknor was sure that after such a fall, there will be no trouble from her. He also sensed the two boys moving around him, trying to attack from behind and front at the same time. Dreknor steadied himself, readying his leg muscles he used dark magic and rushed forward towards the boy with the club. To a normal human it would seem like teleportation. Grabbing the end of the club with one hand and the boys wrist with the other, he disarmed the boy and threw him into the other youth standing behind Dreknor. '' Ha this will be a good sport it seems'' Dreknor said and tossed away the club.

---

Argurios tried to get back to his feet as fast as possible. But his leg was injured. He had to sprain his ankle, and his right elbow was cracked, as he tried to shield his companion from the fall. Once up he looked at the situation, just in time to see his friend be thrown like a rag doll. Argurios screamed and tried to rush at the enforcer, but as soon as he tried to step on his right foot, it gave way and he fell hard against the ground.

[Jollan]

Aiden landed with a heavy thud against the other boy. He grunted as he got up. There was no other option here but to fight, at least long enough for the others to escape. He turned his head to the other boy and told him to go with the others. He felt like it was his duty as one of the older people left from his town to protect the others with his life. it was a role he had taken upon returning to his town.... a role he had already failed once with Sarah....

But he could never live with himself to see it happen again. Especially not after just meeting back up with his companions. "Father, if you can still hear me....," he growled under his breath as stood back up, "Give me the strength to protect those I hold dear!"

Ander was now standing again, his fists up and ready. He had resolved to battle this monster to the end, as long as he could hold out till they escaped. He watched as Dreknor threw the cub away to the side. "This ends NOW, creature!" He yelled as he charged back at the evil being.

[Astarael42]

Brisa hurt so much she couldn't even make a sound. Each breath was agony and she was struggling just no to pass out. When the weight on her finally lifted she was able to focus again, though she was only in marginally less pain. She could tell something was wrong with her lungs, or her ribs, or something. Right now though she couldn't be bothered to figure out what was wrong, much less what she should do. Instead she pushed herself unsteadily to her feet and tried to process what was going on around her.

It seemed to be madness. The boys, Aiden, Argurios, & Jatan, were all in various stages of serious trouble. Aiden had been flung into Jatan, both of them tumbling like rag dolls in the wake of the attack. Aiden's crossbow, dropped in the struggle, was crunched under Dreknor's feet and his club tossed carelessly to the side. Argurios was down again, Brisa could see there was some problem with his leg and he couldn't run. The fear that was brewing in her tripled, they had to be able to run. This man was going to kill them; there was no question in her mind. They were in serious danger. Even her adrenaline cantrip wouldn't help Argurios now, it couldn't overcome whatever was wrong. Wizards didn't heal. She was out of ideas, and out of useful tricks. Magic was all she had and right now none of what she knew could help. Or could it...

Her eyes caught sight of the billowing clouds of smoke coming from the different corners of town. Fire...she could light things on fire. The pain in her ribs was sharp and biting, it made it difficult to concentrate. Even a simple cantrip couldn't be cast without concentration.

She had to work hard, she lost track of what was going on around her as she did so. She missed Aiden's charge, missed everything in the alley as she struggled to focus her thoughts on the arcane words that swarmed through her mind. It was hard, harder than anything she had ever done. So much pain and chaos going on around her. She simply couldn't do it.

The world returned along with agony in her ribs. She ran, best she could, to Arugurios' side. She couldn't cast a spell but maybe she could be useful, somehow. She really had no idea, just that this was her instinct. They had been through so much already, she had come to automatically turn to him, even when he was the one that needed help.

Dreknor, meanwhile, having ignored Brisa, turned his attention to the boy who was charging him. This was pointless. The children stood no chance, and the fight was rapidly getting pointless. He needed to end it now and do what he came to do. There were other duties to attend to this day. He furled a leg and kicked Aiden in the stomach, not even bothering to look as the boy crumpled. He spun, his attention now on Arugrious and the small girl crouching beside him.

Brisa's eyes showed her fear, she was not skilled at hiding her emotions, and it seemed to spur the evil man on. His god fed on fear, in addition to shadows and death. He reached out a hand and smacked the girl upside the head, knocking her back as if she were a leaf.

Brisa saw stars, she had thought that was a figure of speech but it turns out that was a literal saying. She hit the ground again, crumpling to the cold stone. She saw the evil man lift a booted foot to kick Argurious and she did the only thing she could think, she threw herself forward and latched onto the mans ankle like a cornered kobold.

[Jollan]

Aiden hit the ground clutching his stomach with his left arm. The blow had knocked the air right out of him. He was feeling weak and useless. He looked for his crossbow but it had fallen off of him. without a proper sling the crossbow fell off and now was in two pieces after Dreknor had crushed it. He was strong. TOO strong. How could you overpower something like him?

As if a voice was guiding him e thought about the dagger he still had hidden. But it didn't make sense what good will a dagger do here? He thought for a moment, still in pain and trying to gather air back in his lungs. "If you are trapped in a fight you cannot win you must do one of two things, Aiden.," His father's voice echoed in his head from multiple speeches from his childhood. "You could die honorably and keep fighting, or live honorably and keep fighting. The difference is how much you use your head. If you can't beat the person, disable them from beating you, if only for a moment. Then the tides may turn"

Aiden gritted his teeth as he looked up from the ground, just in time to see Dreknor smack Bisa to the side. He pulled the dagger out of his boot while he picked his target...the neck. More specifically, the back of the neck at the spinal column. severe it there, and the rest of the body would be instantly paralyzed. Without that, all of this creature's strength would be useless. Aiden got back up to his feet and he saw Dreknor walk over to Agurious. The creature then lifted his foot to attack boy when Brisa jumped in between the two. 'NOW' a voice screamed in his head. While Dreknor was concentrated on his initial target at hand and about to strike, Aiden without uttering a word gathered all the strength he had, jumped forward, and drove his dagger into Dreknor's spine with both hands, just at the back of the neck. He hoped against everything that this would work, not for himself but for his friends. Because even if it meant his own death, if he could protect his friends and save them, he would be at peace.

[Shadowefil]

The situation would have looked almost comical, had their lives not been in grave jeopardy. Brisa, hanging on for dear life to Dreknor's boot like a cat clinging to a tree limb, was being violently shaken up and down. So far, she had managed to keep hold. Her devotion to the Argurios must be that strong.

Aiden's dagger had buried itself in Dreknor's back, but it seemed to have no effect. In fact, the man didn't even stop to remove it. He simply backhanded the boy sending him sprawling backwards. Jatan winced. He himself was still reeling from being thrown to the ground. Dreknor would kill them all. This was where it would end.

Jatan gasped as he was violently wrenched up onto his feet. Someone had lifted him by yanking sharply on the top of his robe. As he turned to look, the man grabbed Jatan's face to make sure Jatan held his gaze. "Listen closely Jatan, and do exactly as I say, and you just might live through this." He shoved a glass vial containing a strange, tan liquid into Jatan's hand. "Spread this on your injured friend's leg. There isn't much but it will have to do. Then, head straight to the docks; do not stop for anything. Get on the boat and leave. Do you understand?"

It was Kevar, second in command at the monastery. He had come to save them!

He slapped Jatan's cheek, "Jatan! I asked you if you understand?"

He couldn't focus. Everything. Happening. So. Fast.

His body was moving. Kevar was shaking him. "It's not hopeless Jatan. It never is. You need to remember this: everyone, even Gods have enemies."

Gods have...enemies? What does he mean?

Someone shrieked in pain. Turning, Jatan saw Shaben, another instructor at the monastery clutching a broken leg. Shaben had pulled Dreknor off Brisa and Aiden, but Shaben was about to suffer for it. Jatan clamped his eyes shut as Dreknor's fist flew towards Shaben's face, but it didn't block out the sickening crack of bone shattering. The nausea bubbled within him. "JATAN! NOW!" He felt himself pushed towards Argurios and Brisa and he stumbled forward a few steps but his eyes were still locked on Kevar. Kevar was holding something...something Jatan couldn't lift his eyes off…

The quarterstaff, it was magical. The most powerful, and beautiful possession in the monastery. Not that the monastery had many valuable possessions; monks lived frugally, after all. But this staff had been blessed in holy waters and had been enchanted by a powerful cleric of Torm. Surely, Dreknor was doomed.

Like a pole vaulter, Kevar sprung forward with the help of the staff, soaring into the air over Dreknor. He brought the staff smashing down into Dreknor's shoulder. That caught Dreknor's attention, and he winced in pain. Kevar's eyes fixated on Jatan for just a moment or two, but that was all it took. Jatan saw fear. For Kevar to be afraid, he must know that the situation was hopeless. It was a sacrifice. Kevar was just buying them time. Jatan wouldn't waste that gift.

Steeling himself, he sprinted to Argurios and Brisa. Even though he didn't know the half-orc, he had to help him. His leg was broken. "Hold him still," he directed Brisa, hoping she could stay calm long enough to help. He would apply whatever medicine or potion Kevar had given him to Argurios' leg. Then they could leave. Anywhere, literally anywhere, had to be better than this cursed town.

[orcpunx]

Argurios was lieing on the ground. His head about to explode, in his ears he could hear a constant beep. The pain from the elbow and ankle were making Argurios dizzy, the world began to spin. When he noticed the boot in the air it took him a moment before he realised what’s going on. As he raised his arms to protect himself he saw Brisa jump in and prevent the kick. Everything seemed so hard, every move, every thought, to even understand what’s going on, everything was so hard that in some moment Argurios believed he was dreaming. Then the pain within his chest began to grow. Stronger and worse by the moment. He clenched his shirt and under it, he could feel the relic he found at his father’s house. The strange item was radiating warmth, yet at the same time caused him pain and messed with his senses. The pain slowly grew too much, and Argurios passed out. His hand still clinching the relic inside his inner shirt pocket. To him everything seemed dark and quite. The pain from the injures subsided, but the effect of the relic remained. ------------ As Dreknor turned around to face his new enemy he was surprised by the weapon the enemy held. Though he did not have the knowledge of its power, he did know that it can hurt his body and even the gods shadow within him. Now his focus was all on the priest before him. The staff presented danger, and so the man must be eliminated at all costs before continuing with the killing of children. Dreknor Rushed forward in a simple attack, overestimating his speed and power, which was blocked and countered forcing Dreknor back for a moment. Dreknor circled his opponent, then as he was about to attack, the enemy surprised him with an attack, the first hit Dreknor dodged, but for the next he had to move out of the enemies reach, prolonging the fight yet again.

[Astarael42]

Brisa felt like her eyeballs were rattling around in their sockets when she finally was shaken off. She huddled trying to get her bones to stop rattling. It didn't take long because Jatan was saying something and she had to fight through the confusion to answer him. “Hold him still” The words slowly penetrated the thick fog that was Brisa's rattled brain. She shoved herself to her hands and knees and crawled over to where Jatan and Argurios were. Argurios was still, very still, and for an instant she thought he was dead. Only when she saw him take a breath did she herself breathe. She looked at the new boy, she hadn't even really met him, such a brief encounter but now she hoped he could help. Magic, divine or arcane, was as familiar to her as breathing by now. She saw the potion and put two and two together very quickly. She just gave a curt nod to the boy, Argurios wasn't moving so that wouldn't be a problem, and turned to find Aiden. She spotted him on the other side of the fight, he had been kicked or tossed or something to the far side of the alley and was lying on the ground. From here she couldn't tell if he was ok or not. She would have to figure something out. She clutched her satchel to her, somehow she had managed to keep it around her neck and shoulder the whole time. Then steeling herself she ran, well to the side of the fight, to Aiden's side. With relief she saw Aiden was hurt, but not badly, not like Argurios who was lying on the ground behind her. She couldn't focus on anything going on around her, but the sounds of the fight threatened to burst into her concentration. She may have been a mageling still, but she had studied concentration and with a great effort of will she shut herself off from what was going on around her save Aiden, Jatan, & the unconscious Argurios. “Come on” she hissed softly at Aiden, grabbing him by his shirt front. She wasn't strong enough to haul him up but her presence was enough and he got up. Without waiting for him to collect his crossbow, it was shattered and broken into several pieces anyway, Brisa did her best to drag him away from the fighting and back to to the other two. She caught a glimpse of the fight out of the corner of her eye, two against one...it should have been unfair but it seemed that was not the case. Both monks were injured, though this did not stop them from fighting, and they seemed to be working as a pair to keep Dreknor's attention on them. Brisa wasn't going to question this gift. There was no doubt in her mind if the evil man turned his attention back to them they would be dead. She got to the others just as Argurios was sitting up. She had no idea what had happened, he looked like death warmed over, but he was sitting up. “Lets go” she said in a low voice when she was close enough to be heard. Of course she had no idea where to go but since the fight was blocking the way they came the only option was to continue down the ally street to the waterfront and hope they could escape on the smooth river. She hoped there would be something there, a raft, a boat, a floating log even...she couldn’t swim. She would risk it though, over the death that waited behind.

[Jollan]

Aiden saw Brisa rush to him to help him up. It took a few moments for him to be able to move again and he started to stand after she had drug him a bit. In Aiden's mind, he had failed once again. First his family, then Sarah, and now here. How many people would pay for his weakness? If it weren't for the monk, they would all be dead. and from the looks of it, the monk will be dead. He looked into the direction that Brisa was wanting to go and something caught his eye. "Look, there are some skiffs ahead," he told Brisa flatly and quietly.

[Astarael42]

Brisa looked down the alley and spotted the skiffs. “Good idea” she said softly while at the same time trying to tug Argurios to his feet. He was bigger and considerably less movable than Aiden had been. It took her and the other two to get him on his feet, but whatever Jatan had done had helped. He could walk, sort of. Brisa had no idea of the pain he was in, or the beating his body had taken, she was only concerned with the immediate problem. She narrowed all her focus to the task of getting out of here, the next problem would come soon enough. They had to get out of here. The skiffs were the best bet, if they could get in one the river could carry them out of their. Even if it was kinda sluggish here, it was movement and they wouldn't have to walk. The smoke in the far corners of the city was dwindling and Brisa knew soon they would have more than one priest after them. It's not like they could be more dead, she hadn't learned yet that death was not always an end to things, but she didn't want to be dead at all. She had almost forgotten why they started this whole thing, right now surviving was the only thing on her mind. With the three boys they half-ran, half-limped down to the skiffs. There was no dock or anything, these seemed to be just personal boats tied up along the river. One was as good as any other and she made a beeline for the closest one. “Come on” she hissed to the others, keeping her voice down though she wasn't sure why she bothered to keep it down. The fight was behind her, she could still hear it, but even it was getting less; she didn't even know how but it sounded less something. She was afraid to look and see who was wining...she was also afraid she already knew the answer. They could all fit in one skiff, barely, they were made for 2-3 adults so four children could fit if the were willing to be a little cozy. Brisa beckoned everyone to get in. She'd never been in a boat in her life, she had no idea how hard it was to quickly pile into a small boat. She also grabbed the oilskin tarp lying nearby, thinking in the back part of her mind, that they could hide under it just to avoid notice from the townsfolk. She didn't factor in how hot and uncomfortable that would be of course, once again the reality of the situation escaped her. She just had no experience in this sort of thing.

[Astarael42]

*******************Group A (Brisa, Argurios, Jatan, Aiden)*******************


The cool of evening was a vast relief to the four children crammed into the small boat. The adrenaline of their escape had worn off, and while the crash hit each of them differently they all felt it. Brisa felt like she had just been present at the casting of a vast magic, like when she helped Autry enchant her house for protection. Every bit of her was drained away and she slumped in the boat. She was bone weary, her eyes barely open, and her chin rested on the satchel she still clutched tightly in her arms.

The river was wide, the current slow and sluggish, but it was steadily taking them away from the danger of Loudwater. That was all that was important at the moment. After they had piled into the skiff, packed rather tightly together with the bags of gear that Argurios had procured, they had pushed off from the bank. The current had grabbed them and slowly pulled them further away. Brisa didn't look back, afraid of what she might see.

The river ran through the edge of town, and since the kids were still in danger of being caught, they pulled the oilskin tarp over themselves and huddled, best they could, in the bottom of the boat. It was hot, sticky with humidity, and terribly uncomfortable. Fortunately the river was doing the work and they could sit in misery without speaking or moving much. Anyone who saw them would just think it was a boat that was adrift, and while they might have once leaped in to tow it to shore, the townsfolk were simply too distracted at the moment.

So for three-quarters of an hour the children drifted downriver, in silence and steaming discomfort, hidden under the tarp. When the finally felt it safe the pulled back the tarp, breathing deeply in relief as the fresh air cooled their sweat soaked bodies. Tired and pain filled as they were however, and with the humid heat of the river soon pressing upon them, they remained lethargic. They had been injured, some quite badly, during the escape from the city and that and the stress had taken its toll. It was not until the sun began to set that they started to revive. Soon it would be dark, and drifting in the dark would be problematic...if there were rapids, or rocks, or worse in the water. They would have to do something to be safe through the night.

**************************Group B (Mia & Divine)**************************


The City of Scomber had fallen silent, unnaturally so. Once a bustling city, situated on prime trade routes, it was now silent and still. Not a being moved, even the animals had deserted it. All that lay within its walls now were the few dead, and the ghosts of memories. It was far too large a city for its demise to go unnoticed, however many of the cities and towns nearby were experiencing some of the same problems. The distances to the unaffected settlements were vast, and the news wouldn't travel as fast as one might think. So for now the lonely city stood on its own, the last two children left alive having deserted it themselves.

It was two days of steady travel on the Black Road, east and north, following the path the priests had been known to take. For that was the only thing out of the ordinary, the only thing different in all the time, that could possibly be connected to the unknown attack. If attack it could even be called for there were no signs of a struggle, no indications of resistance. Everyone had simply vanished. Save three, three were undeniably dead. But the rest...the rest might still be alive, somewhere, maybe. If they looked maybe they could find answer; and the best bet was to start with the strange visitors.

Though neither was used to traveling, the wide trade road was easy to follow and the trees were thin enough that clearings could be found with ease. Additionally as it paralleled the river fresh water was always in abundance. The weather had been comfortably mild, the days got a little warm and the nights a shade too cool but overall it was not bad. That left only food, and though they had supplied themselves before they left, the food had to be rationed for who knew when the next town would appear on the horizon.

[orcpunx]

When Argurios came to his senses he thought it was night, then someone said something and light shown into his eyes. It burned him, but at the same time made him realise how weak he is. He could hardly move, he wanted to ask what just happened but was too tired. After awhile he began to put things together.

For one they were in a small boat on the river, in the middle of nowhere. He couldn't remember how they got here. Last thing he remembers was running with Brisa on his back. Second he realised what happened when he woke up. It seemed they were covered by something at the time. But it was too late to wake up from sleep. As Argurios thought about it, he remembered his dream, and all the dread he felt with it.

In his dream everything was foggy. He remembered the pain from his ankle and elbow, but then there was a pain that radiated over his whole body, and pitch total blackens that engulfed him, all negative feelings disappearing. For the rest of the dream was foggy, this scene was as clear as day. He was kneeling/sitting in front of a dark hooded figure, sitting on a throne made by muscles entwined and stretched by each other. Then the figure spoke something and offered its hand. Agurios wanted to take the hand, but something touched, shook and lifted him, and the figure disappeared.

Argurios was lost and alone in the darkness, but not for long. Feeling himself being lifted to his feet and pushed forward, Argurios simply gave in and tried to walk into the direction he was pushed. The tiredness and pain returned to him, and with that the foggy dream. As he was looking around he saw one man tear another man's head off. Then everything was dark again, but not like before, this time it was just like someone would put a blindfold on, with a couple of holes that enabled light to shine through. He wanted to move but was to tired and slowly the dream ended and now he woke.

Argurios was dazzled by the dream, and noticed he was in a very uncomforting position. It took him all his strength to readjust himself. He wasn't tired physically and he was slowly beginning to regain his senses more and more. No, he was tired in his spirit, soul, like some heavy feelings of guilt, anger, desperation, and all other dark emotions had been resting upon him for generations.

After awhile as he wanted to talk to Brisa he noticed how everyone was exhausted, and beaten. At first he didn't understand it, but then he noticed his ankle and elbow showed signs of damage as well. Now he realised what was going on, his dream was not a dream, but reality. Reality of how his companions tried their best and just managed to escape the grip of death. In their escape they did not forget him, and this brought a warm and refreshing feeling to Argurios. As the warmth flew through him, he touched his chest and remembered the amulet and the pain it gave. At first Argurios wanted to check the amulet and if there was any sign on his torso., but then he did not want to alarm others if there was something, and in his current state he was lacking the energy to do it. His decision made, he will check himself once they make camp and when he will feel more like himself.

Resting for the rest of the smooth ride, Argurios was slightly napping, recovering his strength. As the sun began to set Argurios woke up and looked around him. He still felt a tad tired, but not like before. With his energy back, Argurios decided to take the role of the leader of this company as he did while he and Brisa travelled to Loudwater. Only that this time he will do it better. Argurios could feel he wasn't like he used to be. The meeting with the dark figure changed him, the bitter feelings still there in his memory of emotions. He promised himself no one will have to go through the same experience as he, as long as he lives. To insure that, he decided to act more like a leader, more like the great war heroes, who lead the men in time of war, that his father told him about.

Looking at the sky and birds he got the necessary information. ''It will be dark in less than two hours. I recommend we make a small camp on land in those woods.'' Argurios spoke pointing towards a forest that was a couple of hundred meters away from the left bank of the river. '' We can carry the skiff with us, or preferably just hide it by the bank and return to it in morning. I think its better we travel by river a bit more. It allows us to rest as we travel and we cant get lost. Sooner or later there has got to be at least a village.

[Jollan]

Aiden, who has been tending the paddle since they lifted the tarp off of themselves. Unlike normal he was silent. Still thinking back at how weak he was. The whole time they were floating down river he couldn't sleep. His mind was still running through everything that has happened these last couple days. He couldn't help but ponder on how things may have been different. Like how if he could have tried to find a way around the bandits, Sarah might not be gone. Or if they had just left that Jatan kid alone and not followed him, that they might have been able to escape without being noticed. And now he didn't have any weapons. He knew he was strong, considering his upbringing and stature, but he still wouldn't be able to hold his own too long or even protect someone without some sort of decent weapon.

When Agurios spoke, it pulled him out of his trance. He looked over to when he was pointing and nodded. "I do suggest we take the boat out with us then. We don't need someone running off with it, or anyone to find it should they come looking for us." He started to guide the boat over to the embankment and then he landed it, a little bit off fom where he was aiming but he was able to manage it. Hopefully, He may at least be able to find some decent green branches to make a bow.... or, at least... try. He had arrowheads so it could be worth a shot. If not that then at least he could make a decent club or spear. Honestly, wood could be used effectively weapon for piercing or blunt force if carved correctly. Its not anything he couldn't make better in a proper forge, but it should do for the group to be at least lightly armed.

[Girlie Go Boom]

Divsie~~<3

For 2 days they had travelled and for 2 days Miss Divine of the Night Scene dancers held her tongue on the matter. And it was eating her up inside. She had never been one to worry so much-- so much infact that she started a terrible habit of wringing her hands together – but something like... losing them all. All at once. A whole city. For 2 days now she held it in but today? Right now? Right now she would stop wringing her hands.

“Why us...?” her voice was but a wee bit over a harsh whisper and barely audible over the sweeping roar of the river beside them.

Soft light amber eyes held a sheen of wet emotion over them as she cleared her throat and turned her visage towards Mia. This time when she spoke it was a tad louder but her full lower lip trembled beneath her small, yet sharp tusks.

“What makes us so special then? Mia, why us? Why were we spared...? Why...?!”

Off into the distance, just above the tree tops and towards the lowering ball of fire in the sky did Divs gaze. She shook her head and wiped her eyes. Oh, but she was being such a silly. She should be thankful that she was alive, not guilty for surviving. And at any rate, who said they were dead? Was that not the reason they followed the 3 Strangers? Did they not have the answers they sought?

But of course they did. Yet into her thick skull this reasoning was not enough.

A fingerless, black leather gloved hand she ran through the strip of cherry black hair at the top of her head.

Divs was a good gal, yes, but the sharpest one? No.

The other hand wiped away at soft amber eyes before tears could fall.

It was hard for her to think for herself; a bit naive, a bit sheltered, and a bit too dumb. Strange that she held such great confidence and pride in her skills as a dancer, acrobat and thiefperformer, yet in social situations or during times of planning or decision making process, she fell flat. Needless to say she was someone who thrived in group situations but failed without a a strong personality to lead her.

And so, while she tried to act brave, she needed constant reassurance and constructive words to build her up. Those in her dance troupe knew that and were able to persuade her and guide her as to how she should be. And those like her mum, Dorianna, knew just how to manipulate and squeeze the most use out of her. But as to what kind of reactions she would receive from Mia, Divs was rather unsure.

As a result, the mixed-orc would defer to just keeping her mouth shut.

She lowered her pack and staff off her shoulders and laid it down in the grass near her feet. Divine knelt down and reached into her pack. After a few seconds of rummaging, she pulled out her packed rations and goods and unrolled them. Eyes closed, she sighed and began unbuttoning her black leather coat starting from throat and running downward to just beyond mid thigh. The coat draped her pack and soon after, the fingerless gloves and black suede riding boots joined the pile. Another sigh, then she untied the drawstrings at the chest of her white long sleeved poofy blouse before unbuttoning the cuffs and rolling them up.

With a cup in either hand, she scooped up fresh, cold river water and stood. With a polite smile and nod, she offered a cup of water to Mia.

“Sooooo... dear Mia...?” she said shyly, amber eyes shining with trepidation over the ceramic mug, “what do we do when we meet these 3 Strangers then? And sooooo what do we do if we meet up with a bunch o' strange folk along the way? We're but lasses me n' you, aye? Indeedy we are... and so Mama Dori always said that stranger men only want one thing from gals and they'll do anything to try and get it from them... especially if they're alone. And here we are, Mia. Alone. Just you and I. And soon it be night again.”

Divs noisily sipped at her water, then ran a hand through her strip of cherry black hair at her head. Another sigh before continuing, then:

“And a big as I am... I do not fight. Well, I been in fights but.. actually no. I just been pummelled actually... hahah... but I gets away for the most part... but one time me eye-- this one here-- swolled up so much I did not see from it..! Umm... But... aye sooooo... what I'm trying to say is; what d'ye wants me to do if we encounter stranger men then? If y'don't mind me askins' that is. Dear Mia. Aye. Aye, indeedy... hahahah... Ahem.”

Divs took another noisy sip of water to shut her mouth. Soft amber eyes shone at Mia, peering out from just over the rim of her mug.

[PhantomSekai]

The scenario of the event that had occurred just two days prior played over and over within Mia's head as she and her new found companion, "Miss Divine" as the orc, or half-orc, whatever she was, Mia didn't care, had identified herself as traveled down the road, in pursuit of the three strangers. She was in no mood to discuss things, as she was to focused on finding out where younger brothers were, finding out if they were even still alive, and if they were dead, finding who was responsible for their deaths' and gutting the monster(s) alive.

When she heard the barely audible voice of Divine speak, she gave an audible groan. She was angry, not at her companion, but at the situation and herself. She felt utterly hopeless and filled with rage. She wanted answers just as much as "divsie" did, but she had nothing. She bit her tongue to keep from lashing out at the other girl. She didn't deserve any cruel words, for she was just as lost and confused as Mia herself was. She found herself to actually taste blood and she sighed, eventually calming down and was ready to speak.

I told you before Divine...I have no idea why we weren't caught up in whatever happened. Maybe we just hid better than the rest, or maybe we do have some real purpose/destiny as to why we were left, or maybe we're the unlucky ones in some hell come to life and the others got lifted to a better place...I know I've done my fair share to get some punishment. It doesn't matter now though. We do what we planned to do, find those 3 and get some answers.

She looked over to the half-orc and noticed that she looked about ready to cry and couldn't help but sigh mentally ~Have I bit off more than I could chew, bringing this girl along?~ She thought to herself, but shooed the thought away. Even if she did prove to be a liability, Mia would be able to devise some way to make her useful. Besides, having to travel alone would be completely boring and at least with what she knew about Divine and her old troupe, she at least could provide some entertaining tales to keep their minds off the bad in their journey together.

When she was offered a cup, she gave a slightly forced smile and said Thanks and quickly took a large gulp from the cup, taking a seat on the bank of the river. She removed her boots and rolled her pants legs up enough and let her feet and lower legs dip into the river. It was cold, and after the intial shock Mia relaxed and let herself lay down and stare up at the sky. It was a rich blue, and she wished that it wasn't such a nice day, given the events of what happened.

When the question of what they'd do when they would encounter the figures came up, Mia laughed and said with a cold tone We ask them what happened. If they lie, or choose to keep the truth from us, we beat them bloody. And don't think just cause you don't know how to fight well you can't fight well. I made my living by beating people up, and I'm shorter than you and most guys...That doesn't mean anything if you know how to make advantages...Here, I'll show you some tricks.

She stood up and grabbed a hand full of dirt and sand from the ground, and then said Just pick up some dirt or grass even, and throw it at their face. They'll either duck and create an opening, or they'll get dirt and stuff in their eyes making them blind. Either way, you get the chance to strike. Also, don't be afraid to go for cheap shots. Groins and throats are good examples. You can also stomp on feet to make people lose their footing. Hell, even something as simple as throwing a sheet or jacket in their face and then attacking through it can work...The point is, you don't fight fair. We can and will use whatever we have to so we can either defend ourselves or get the info we want.

She put her boots back on and rolled her pants legs down and said Come on. We should close the distance as best as we can before we lose the light. We'll setup camp on the river bank like we did the past two nights and take turns taking watch. With that, she continued to move along the road after the 3 figures.

[Astarael42]

----co-post with @Shadowefil----
Jatan's arms ached. Then they burned. He felt the stab of a splinter making its way steadily into his left index finger. Come on, come on, just...a bit...farther...there! A sigh of relief escaped his lips. At last, the skiff was safely laid to rest near the spot the youth had selected for their makeshift campsite. But, as the weight of the skiff dropped from his hands, a new, deeper weight replaced it. Like a falling oak, the heaviness of the day's events toppled down upon Jatan, crushing the breath out of him once more. What kind of coward flees from a brother in need? What kind of coward flees the only family he's ever had, the only father he has ever known? Edgar, Kevar, even the hell that was Loudwater...Torm has taken everything from me, he thought, sinking to his knees, his hands raking through the dirt. I have nothing left...not one thing left to hold on to...not one thing left to love...nothing left…"Nothing left," he whispered.

Meanwhile, Brisa set to making a fire as soon as her feet touched dry land. It was habit, routine. All the days with Argurios she had come to know this was the first step. He would take care of a few other things, her job was to gather a bit of brush and sticks and start a small fire, the kind one could huddle close to without getting too hot. Even in the rain they had had fire, for her spell, minor though it was, would light even the wettest branches. It had been up to Argurios to jury-rig a shelter to keep it dry, but Brisa could always get it started. So that's precisely what she did. The spot they stopped was nice enough, better than some of the places she had camped recently, worse than others. But there was a nice clearing for building a fire, and not a cloud in the sky so no need to shelter it.

She set to the habitual movements without even really thinking about Aiden or Jatan. It wasn't until she had the clearing for the fire made that it dawned on her. She stopped what she was doing and abruptly blinked in the falling evening light. Argurios was wounded, badly, she could tell by the way he moved though she couldn't tell how he was injured. Just that something was very off. The other two she wasn't even sure about. At least knew Aiden even though they hadn't been friends everyone knew everyone where she came from."I'm going to get a fire going" she muttered softly a bit less confident now that the danger was passed and they were once again on the road. She had relied on Argurios to tell her what to do and she had done it, they had managed well enough together. Now she was off kilter. She looked at Jatan and smiled tentatively…"Could you, do you, have anything to help my friend?" she asked softly.

She had guessed the potion he had used before was used up, but maybe he had another, or something. She didn't even think to consider he might be struggling with the death of the monks who had clearly given themselves up to save the kids. She was just too impulsive that way, and to unskilled in social behavior."Nothing left, nothing left, nothing left." Jatan's murmuring halted. The sound of Brisa's voice drew his gaze upward, and his voice trembled. Unblinking, he met her gaze, the wail finally ripping forth from his soul, "I have NOTHING LEFT!"

Brisa eyed him, not unkindly for a few seconds. She knew in her gut he wasn't talking about not having a way to help Arugurios. It was more than that. Finally she spoke."Neither do I" said Brisa her simple voice full of both hurt and resolve. She wanted to touch the quivering elf boy but this time controlled her impulsive side. "At least I didn't. Three priests came and took away everything I knew; simply made them vanish and killed my teacher. I'm guessing something similar but different happened in your home. Now I have Argurios; I'd never really met him until after all this. But he's saved my life more times than I car to count; a friend where I had none before. And I have a goal; a mission to find those priests. So that's two things. And if I don't give up...well who knows." She paused for a moment to nurse the vain hope that if she found the priests she could somehow, someway, right everything. Then she continued, her voice even softer than before. "Sorry. About everything. I'm sure its our fault you had to leave your home. If I can help you somehow I will."

Jatan was still reeling as she spoke. Brisa's words swam around his head like fish, wriggling and slipping out of his grasp whenever he tried to hold them down. The few words he heard lay caught before him, and he wove them into his question, "Made them vanish? What do you mean?"

Brisa shrugged and looked around her eyes flicking to her companions. "Don't know" was her honest answer. "Town is empty, all the people gone....” She trailed off as she blocked certain dark thoughts from her mind. She kept telling herself they were on a rescue mission, despite the fact that in the cool dark recesses of her logical self she knew that there was no hope of rescuing the people of Twiddledale. She was not prepared to admit she was on a mission of vengeance. She quickly squelched any unpleasant thoughts and set to tell Jatan the story of their adventures, some of them anyway, in hopes to learn from him what happened in his own hometown. She knew they had to be connected, and every piece of the puzzle put them one step closer.

*******************





***Group A***

The cool of the evening was a blessed relief to the small group. The humidity still filled the air, but in the the coolness it didn’t seem so bad. Brisa's fire was small but comfortable, providing more than just warmth and keeping the wilderness creatures at bay, the presence of the fire lifted the mood of the children around it. There was something comforting in it. They had survived, they had a fire, they had food, and they had plenty of fresh water. Sometimes the simple things were the most important. Mysteries could be solved on the morrow, worries would come back, but for this moment a chance to rest in relative comfort was to be treasured.

The drizzle started with several hours yet till dawn. In the darkest part of the night the clouds had rolled in, blocking the moon, and bringing with them moisture. The misting rain was light, but enough to worry Brisa who well remembered the discomfort of walking days in the rain. In the darkness she could not see the masses of clouds that had moved in, could not see the vastness of the weather pattern. But she worried that there were more seemingly endless days in the rain ahead of them. She was not wrong.

***Group B***

For the two girls from Secomber the night began like the two before. They were not used to traveling, or being alone at night on the road, but for now the nights had been easy on them. The weather was mild and the road level and clear. It was more like a field trip. Well except for the endless walking through the muggy heat of the day. And the sore legs and backs. And the hard ground. And the rationed food. But the nights...the nights were nice. Even the sounds of the night, the river, the wind, the animals, were easy to get used to and sleep seemed almost safer here somehow. At home, in the city, one always had to sleep with one eye open so to speak. Life for the denizens of the criminal layers of the city was not always simple or easy. It seemed that life on the road was.

It wasn't until well past midnight, dawn was still several hours away as well, that the rain started. And easy misting rain that managed to get everything a little bit damp. For now it left the leaves and the grass sparkling in the moonlight, but given time even the mist would soak everything they owned leaving them wet and uncomfortable. It would soak all the wood to leave making a fire near impossible. It would coat the ground making it just slippery enough that one had to pay attention as they walked.

[Astarael42]

----Groups A & B-----
The rain didn’t let up, all through the night. It was soft, and pleasant, but the unending drops soon soaked everything that wasn’t well protected down to the core. Soft and pleasant turned to chilly and soggy. The fires soon hissed and died out, but fortunately by the time they gave up a very dark dawn was on the horizon. Neither the road, nor the river, offered much shelter from the rain, and as light finally filled the sky the children could see that it was fighting a losing battle against the clouds. Thick and gray they stretched as far as the eye could see in all directions. The question became to wait out the weather or push on regardless.

-----------------------------Brisa---------------------------
For Brisa she wasn’t bothered, well she was, she hated it, but she would carry on. The only true difficultly presented was her morning studies. She normally woke extra early and by the light of the fire she studied both her book of maps, worked on her translations of the strange language, and memorized her spells. Then she would prepare breakfast for herself and Argurios, usually leftover meat from the night before reheated in the fire and if they were lucky a corn cake or two also left over from the previous night. This morning she still had to study, a spell had to be learned, but the rest of her work went untended. Breakfast would be cold and from their travel supplies, she absently munched on a piece of unknown dried fruit as she bent her mind to the task at hand.

Raindrops spilling down her face, eyes, chin, she bent her mind to the task. This journey had been stellar for one thing…concentration. She could tune out everything else to focus on a single thing, in this case the arcane words and formulas that she was committing to memory. Cantrips were simple things, but she was very young for a magician, young in mind and young in magic, and they still took much of her focus.
Still in a tiny sliver of her mind she began to wonder if she couldn’t push herself, expand her mind, learn more magic. With no teacher she had assumed it would be impossible, but would it really? She would mull that over for the next several days, trying to decide if it was possible to teach herself magic.

----Hairlissa (NPC)----
The being known as Hairlissa in a hollow created by an upended tree. The shadows in the hollow kept her concealed from almost everyone, and those creatures that wandered too close soon wandered away for she was unlike anything the natural denizens of this land had ever encountered.
Though her body, human at the moment, hairless and naked, remained here her mind was far away. She was deep in meditation and communion with her god. The chill and rain went unheeded. As an ectothermic creature all it would do was serve to make her sluggish anyway, she didn’t get cold. She got slow.
She had tracked the dark priests from their homeland, knowing they were up to no good. The dark god wasn’t well received in Chult, his cults were secretive and small, but here in Faerun he was unknown, and growing in power rapidly. Too rapidly for her own god’s comfort.

Hairlissa had been considered weak, an inferior among her own people, until it was learned she walked with the god’s favor. Now this pureblood had become one of the most powerful of her species, a favored of her god. And she had followed the priests on his command, to learn what she could and stop them.
But with the growth of Eshowdow’s power, with the flood of new worshippers fueling him, even she would not be able to stand against him. So she watched, and studied, and listened. And she saw what Eshowdow and his priests hadn’t. She saw children escape the shadow-enslavement or zealot-law of their own homes. She saw children go unnoticed by priests and dark god alike. She saw determination, a will to live, and more importantly she saw a spark of revenge burning in some of them that could be fanned into a flame . Human children, or mostly human anyway, weak and soft yet there was something there. Something unnoticed and unremarked on, so small and insignificant were they that they just slipped through the cracks.
So she pondered what she had learned and how to use it as she poured out her mind to her serpentine god.

watch, study, learn came the reply

Should she help?

Lurk, hide, observe.

It was clear, if the children could not survive they were not the answer. But if they could, if they made it to the sea port, then and only then….

speak, aid, poison

She opened her orange-gold eyes on that last word. Poison. She knew poison in all its glory. Not a poison of the body. A poison of the mind and heart. Some were halfway there already. Hate and revenge tinting their souls. It was a good start. Poison would strengthen them. She would see to it.

[orcpunx]

As They landed and decided on the spot, where they will camp for the night, Argurios dropped his pack and began to work on the groups shelter. but he was still to tired and worn out to make it as good as he can. once he was done the shelter gave a weak roof and crack in it made sure the wind could be felt. he did not eat much, but just unrolled his blanket and went to sleep. Though sleep did not come as quickly as he hoped. he heard other talk and later began to think about everything that has happened in the city and how it has affected him.

As the strong rain began to shower the land, Argurios was the second to wake up. As he awoke he found a gashing hole in the roof above him, which explained why his head was as wet as a hogs ass. He got up and spotted Brisa working on something, the others asleep. He packed his things hoping they will not get wetter than they are. Once done he nudged the two sleeping boys. "Guys get up, we need to rebuild the shelter fast. Its pouring to hard, and the shelter is falling apart." Argurios had no idea what he rain could bring.

COCKROACH RACE WOOOOHOOOOOOO!!!!!!