Let's go we've lost enough people down here.
When the mention of friends comes around, Azruk growls, which is surprisingly uncommon when you think about it.
Bela listens to the wizard's story, her heart going out to the young, lonely Victarion that his words bring to mind. A sickly girl in her youth, the healer knew all too well what the sting of loneliness felt like, and would wish such a miserable fate on no one. Idly, she wondered if his experiences in the past were what made him so willing to throw himself in the line of fire for his friends now. At the end of his story, Bela ducks her head at his gratitude, hiding a blush of her own. "You give me more than my due, Vic. I'm just a vessel. It isn't me you should be thanking," she says with a smile, meeting his eyes for a moment before pointedly glancing to the heavens. Looking over to Vic again, she says with a wink, "But I'll pass along your thanks."
Everyone packs up, following the maps. The large group staying close together, saying little. The hike is oddly quiet with little happening.
night falls rather suddenly, as usual as Nighttail turns to the group We need to stop, Traveling at night is dangerous and the groups tired. Agreed?
"What?" Azruk turn an incredulous horned brow at the scout.
"We've never had an easier time getting around down here. Ya wanna waste that?"
"Azruk," Bela begins, her voice level and patient as she tries to persuade the lizardfolk to see reason. "Who knows what sort of challenges we will face tomorrow. It does us no good to be ill-prepared for them, right?"
Agreed we need to think of the others.
"Right, right, the poor little escaped slaves I'm 'bout ta get stabbed for real soon. I didn't forget about them. Trust me, stopping now is a bad idea. We ain't sitting ourselves down 'til we at least find a place to sleep. Think we can reach that spot by the river we had at least?"
Azruks tone is measured, as if he were planning what he said for some time. He stands still, towering as he does. Looking off to the jungle he starts to think.
The group keeps marching though it takes a few more hours until you do eventually reach a river. Clear as day however a pack of large wild cats seem to have claimed the river as their own.
Azruk just shrugs.
Well we have fresh meat tonight or we will be fresh meat. Artemis will say with a little smile. He will then weave a spell over his bow just before we attack.
"...You did make a rather good meal out of the last large cat we came across," Bela says after a few moments, coming to terms with killing the animals. Calling on the spirit of restoration, the healer invigorates Azruk with an abundance of life energy.
Azruk crouches by the others in the party and whispers in a hushed tone. He's finally eye-level with the mammalfolk.
"Least 2 hours to find another spot by the river. If we try to scare them off, they'll come back. Pra'lly soon. Do we take them and hope they're smart enough to run away before all of them die, or not? Only askin' once."
Killing theses beast does not help us get out of here. Let's go around.
After listening to what Azruk and Artemis have to say, Bela gives both men a brief nod before moving to address the crowd of survivors. "I know you all are weary, but we must press on. It would be dangerous to stop here. Just hold fast a little longer and I promise you this nightmare will soon be behind us." Afterward, Bela spends a few moments refilling waterskins .
"Are we all ready to continue?"
two hours later, true to fact the group finds and empty, unoccupied area around the river. Many survivors settle down, few bothering to set anything up.
the area is pleasant enough, being cooler near the river, the water being cold and crystal clear.
Go get some rest Azruk I will take first watch.
Azruk sleeps his slumber. Roar/snoring all the while.
Bela takes the third watch. During her shift, she walks among the sleeping survivors, silently beseeching the Gods to watch over them in the trials ahead.
Its the dead of night, peaceful, a few animals skulking around but not much else...unless you beat the check that is....
In the dead of night you see the water moving, shadows dashing quickly into the surrounding high grass. you see, though only barely many things hiding and waiting.
Looking forward to a peaceful night's rest, Bela doesn't immediately notice anything is amiss until she hears something stirring in the grass around their camp. Straining her fallible human eyes, she can just make out the shadows among the deeper darkness of the night. Why is it always on my watch? Not wanting to cause a panic - especially considering she isn't sure of what she has seen - Bela decides against summoning up a ghostly clamor to wake everyone like the last time, and instead tries to rouse the others one by one.
"Wake up, there's something hiding in the grass. I think those cats may have found us after all."
*Egh* Azruk listens to Bela as he rolls over, a leaf punctured and stuck to the left side of his face falls off as he rises.
"Oh yeah? Maybe I can go reason them to death."
Artemis gets up slowly and deliberately. Picking up his bow and arrows.
Out of the thick grass stalks a rather large lizard man, standing roughly 7 feet tall with deep blue scales. A large long tail slaps the ground twice, quick movement can be heard as more figures skulk in the surrounding brush.
Outsiders...Not look like other humans, not smell of squid, or of mushrooms... he cautiously draws what looks like a greatsword made of bone and stone. He speaks in a very rough common, trying to figure out the words he needs.
The azure scaled lizard sheaths restraps his blade, heartily accepting the handshake with a toothy grin and a laugh.
Of course not, you've either seen or smelled those Trog's. They inhabit this side of the river it's the edge of their territory, They ruin everything they touch...Those humans, look like runaway's from the tunnel's , a pretty sizable group too. Their minds in tact?
"No idea. Wizard went out of his mind well before we met. You'll hate him."
Artemis keeping his bow down will move over to Bela and quickly ask for a translation.