Having finished, and failed, to help Kiley, Jessica looks up, "Are we ready to leave then?"
Looking from Jessica to Delendir exploring to Tal studying then to Nualia and Kiley and then back to Jessica Sunday simply shrugs with his arms up.
Kiley double-checks Nualia's bonds before tossing the priestess over her shoulder.
As the others prepare to leave, Delendir decides to try the southern door of the corridor. The portal opens, exposing a short ten-foot hall that ends in another door.
Seeing the group keeps on place, not moving out of the lair, Delendir continues with the exploration opening the next door and looking inside.
"Well, while you decide to do something, I will keep acting. I am curious to know where Nualia has staggered on her exploration."
Once in the new room, Delendir looks for dangers, concealed things, new doors and any useful tool.
He checks if any door, hatch or corridor has been recently used.
If the group leaves though, he follows the party.
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
"Come on Delendir, we can come back later and satisfy your curiosity." Jessica gently takes Delendir's hand and begins to lead him back towards the stairs that the group took down in the first place. Once everyone is moving, Jessica takes her regular place in the group, staying near to Kiley who is carrying Nualia.
The bloodied but victorious party sneaks out of the complex, passing across the rope bridge as the sun hangs low in the sky. A few of the group think they see a couple of pairs of red eyes peeking at them from the brush as the group makes its way through the thicket, but no attacks come so the watchers are ignored as you make your way out of the thicket.
Delendir rears back after opening the door seeing the party is moving out. He follows bow prepared for an ambush but nothing seems to come in the end.
Once out of the goblins forested area the ranger looks for Mosey Patiente and joins back to the party going back to Sandpoint.
"Oh little! Hope you are ok!"
Not really seeing any point to protesting Sunday glumly follows the others out as they head back to Sandpoint, keeping an eye on Nualia and Kiley as he walks.
Delendir and the others find the pack animal waiting patiently, munching on the surrounding foliage.
When Delendir catches up with Mosey, Jessica rushes to the animal and begins scratching her ears. "I'm glad you were safe Mosey, I wouldn't want the goblins to have gotten you." She continues on with the group, exhausted from what they had done so far.
Once they make it back to town Jessica asks them all, "So, I guess we should take Nualia to the sheriff?"
Sunday can only shrug. "Don't know of anywhere else we can take her."
Delendir enters Sandpoint with the rest of the party and Nualia loaded over Mosey shoulders "I think that's the best we can do. Let's go take her to the sheriff. I don't think he is back, but we can close her in the prison."
As the badly injured party enters into the town Delendir observes the village a bit differently, a bit sour How did we allow for this to happen to the little girl...
Once at the sheriff he hands Nualia to the sheriff minions and makes sure Nualia is closed in the best cell of the building "It is mostly important you never let her take a symbol of any god. And better if you maintain her hands well hold or she can easily escape." as he walks out he comments "Perhaps Tsuto will enjoy the company of the girl. As for us, we need much diserved rest. Let's go to the Rusty Dragon?"
"It would be for the best to keep them separate, less chance of them escaping then." Sunday interjects.
Nodding firefly at Delendir, "That sounds good to me, I can use a hot meal and some rest." With the prisoner dropped off, Jessica heads towards rhe Rusty Dragon.
|
"Perhaps it is best if some of you start at the church. I'm sure they can offer you some healing. Would be a shame to dirty fresh clothes with some more blood from open wounds would it not?
As to our new prisoners, yes, keep them separate and someone to watch them constantly. I fear Nualia still has some tricks up her sleeve.
For me, I'm up for a strong drink and something nice to eat." Tal says and strolls along with those who are going to the Rusty Dragon.
At the mention of fresh clothes Sunday looks down at his outfit, the only one he owns, and shrugs nonchalantly before following for the mention of alcohol.
"Before we head to the temple, let me see what I can do. I have some more healing magic at my disposal but didn't want to use it unless we needed it. Now that we're safely back I can do so." Jessica begins to pray and invokes a stronger glow than before and touches herself, her wounds knitting closed somewhat. She them doea the same for Delendir and then Kiley.
The deputy nods to Sunday. "Aye, just the one cell with multiple divisions. Still, we can lock her in one of the barracks rooms on a lower floor, if you think that would work better." The man's eyes seem confused by the appearance of the lovely woman with the demonic arm. The man nods gravely at Delendir's instructions.
The group of companions then retires to the Rusty Dragon, greeted by a rousing cheer from the staff. Drinks and food are brought for you, and any mention of payment is waved away.
Sunday will nod in thanks to the deputy.
At the Dragon he wastes no time in catching back up on his drinking, putting away bottles and mugs with a sour look on his face while thinking over what all they had learned.
Delendir thanks Jessica for the healing and then joins Daud on the drinking "It has been tough what we lived there down... I don't feel that was a success. " the ranger drinks bitterly his own beer.
"So... we are going back there tomorrow? I don't expect the goblins will be as understanding with us as before. " the ranger keeps drinking for the rest of the night until he is so tired he is forced to bed.
Why the world has to punish a small girl with such a test... What force is pushing all of us to free whatever lies below that lair?
Jessica sits and eats, despite the work she did this day she finds her appetite lacking after the troubles they all had. She keeps an eye on Sunday especially since he acted so odd earlier. Once she finishes eating, Jessica has a bath and then returns to the common room looking for her friends once more.
Kiley is silent the whole time it takes to get back to the Once Nualia is secure in a cell, or a room in the barracks, she finally talks.
"Would it be okay if I talked with her," she asks the guard on duty.
Kiley sits opposite of Nualia, her eyes half-closed and dull.
"We found your journal in that place. All i can say is that I am sorry that I wasn't able to help you through any of that. I knew Father Tobyn was strict, and Momma always said that he should have allowed you a little more freedom," she says, her voice quite and meek.
"I want to hate you. I want to take out all of the pain and grief I've had for the past five years on you. I want to return every bit of suffering, but I can't. I can't do it. You have suffered too, and i can't hate someone who's been hurt, even if she killed my mother, the only family I had left," Kiley looks to the side, fatigue and sorrow causing her shoulders to sag. She looks more like a young girl than a young woman at that moment.
"After Momma died, I was left wondering why. Why did The Chopper kill my Poppa? Why did Momma die in that fire? Why was I left wandering the streets of Sandpoint to nearly starve to death," she continues, "My faith was nearly shattered by that. I spent six months on my own, fending for myself. Winter came and I was so cold and hungry I snuck into the kitchen at the Rusty Dragon and got caught stealing some rolls," a small smile begins to spread across the young woman's face, "Ameiko caught me. You remember her, right? She took me in, helped me pull myself together. Father Zantus helped me overcome some of the grief, and I thought I was better."
Kiley's smile disappears, her eyes dark, like portals to the very deepest space between the stars.
"Then the raids happened. The others thought it was you from Tsuto's journal, but I didn't believe it. I didn't want to believe it. It wasn't until I saw you on the other end of that sword that I had to accept that you were the one that was behind all of this. Now I find myself asking why? Why do you hate us so much that you'd rather see us burn than just moving somewhere far away? Why didn't you just go to the City of Strangers or Korvosa? Why do you hate me? I would have been your friend, if you had let me." Her eyes look into Nualia's bitter sorrow bringing tears to them.
"Let these bastards do what they will. I shall rest easy in the Mother's embrace once I leave this life. And this isn't over by far, mark my words. You are doomed, regardless." Rage is replaced by black humor, and a smile threatens to appear on the woman's face.
Everyone else returns to the Rusty Dragon, getting rested up, eating, bathing, and discussing tomorrow's plans.
Kiley looks Nualia in the eyes as the aasimar speaks. The young woman is too tired to even flinch when Nualia mentions being a freak, but brown eyes flare as she mentions the "Mother's embrace."
"We all are eventually. If Aroden is anything to go by, we all die, even gods," Kiley says with a dark chuckle, "but, Nualia," she continues, her expression serious, "if you believe that everyone thought of you as a freak, you're wrong. It's a shame you missed the funeral for you. It lasted hours and everyone always talked about how kind and beautiful you were."
Kiley pauses wiping away the tears as she remembered another funeral a short while later. There weren't as many there, and no one seemed to remember the young daughter her mother had left behind.
"And even if you're right, what would happen after razing Sandpoint? Would you just stop, vengeance satisfied, or would you keep going? Who would be next Magnimar? Korvosa? Riddleport? The Windsong Abbey? Where does that road end, Nualia? Because I don't know if you really understand where that will lead. Is burning Sandpoint really going to bring you joy and happiness? Is the slaughter of so many what you really want, or is it something you're being told that you want?"
"Cause it wasn't..." Sunday chimes in. "We didn't stop the goblin army, we just beat up a sad and broken girl. Driven mad by a demon... abused by her father... treated like s~@* by the whole town..." Whatever else he was going to add to his rant was drowned out as he finished what was left of a new bottle in one pull, brand new and completely full in fact.
Swaying as the world swayed and turned around him he finally notices something, or rather, the lack of someone as he looks about the room. "Has anyone seen Kiley?" Moving his head about as he stands he stumbles around for a bit before heading outside in a drunken haze, trying to retrace his steps leading to the bar.
Delendir follows Daud's mood during the night. Before heading to sleep, he places Ghina into the safety of her cage and feeds her manually fixing as many wounds as he can.
If Jessica wants to he helps her treat the wounds of the party before going to rest.
The next day the half-elf, with a better mood, will start arranging the equipment in Mosey Patiente. "Have you seen Kiley?" I hope she has not expend the whole night with Nualia
"We have some business to deal with. There is the equipment from Nualia, which I suggest we better do not return to her. She is in debt to this town much more than that. I suggest we gave her 100 gold pieces to Father Zantus, a little repay to what she made, but the church will appreciate the donation, what do you think?" the half-elf looks for expression input on the proposal.
"Her bastard sword we have agreed Daud will use. The breastplate, I suggest Kiley or Elisai will do great use of it. I suggest whomever do not get the armor, gets the medallion. We do not know how it is related to all this history, but crediting Tal it can be very useful to us. Personally, I would like to keep both Nualia's bow and Brutazmus arrows. Daud can keep the bugbear bow, we might need it to defend Sandpoint if the goblins attack again before the Sheriff comes back with the mercenaries. The rest of the equipment I think we can sell, that will make up to 36 gold pieces to split, or perhaps we can buy a scroll for you guys instead." Delendir stops arranging the stuff and looks at the others for input.
The woman laughs bitterly, [b]"I don't need your pity. I hate you and all these f@&@ing idiots around here. They wear masks of kindness, but inside they are every bit the monster I am."
Kiley pulls out her dagger and idly twirls it in her hands.
"It wasn't pity that kept me from letting myself or the others kill you. It was a need for closure. I needed to hear why you did what you did from your own mouth," Kiley says her eyes focusing on the glinting edge.
"If you let rage and hatred drive you, then you're little more than a puppet. Is that what you've become, Nualia? A puppet, the plaything of a goddess that could care less about what you want so long as you follow her every whim? If that is the case, then I do pity you," she says quietly, the knife slowly comes to a stop as hard, brown eyes look up into Nualia's.
"You hate me enough to see me burn, to see everything I hold dear burn, but do you hate me enough to deny me the chance to help you?"
Kiley holds the dagger so that the hilt is withing Nualia's grasp.
"Show me, Nualia. Show me how much you hate me. Show me that you hate me so much that you'd be willing to end your own life and damn yourself to an eternity of suffering just to spite me," a death head's grin spreads across Kiley's face, her eyes cold and merciless.
Les'see... we dropped the sad girl off at the gaol... so this way? Better find her before we drink all the whiskey... Swaying Sunday moves about down the path to the sheriff's.
The woman stands, creeping over to the bars of her cell. She stares down at the blade for long moments, then begins to reach for the dagger. Suddenly, her arms whip forward, attempting to grasp the smaller woman! With a sudden surge of strength, she slams Kiley against the cell bars, her hand grasping and grabbing the young woman's other wrist.
Kiley drops the dagger in surprise as she's hauled forward and slammed into the bars. Stars flare in her eyes as her ears ring. She's in trouble, and she knows it, but the young warrior doesn't cry for help, or shout in anger.
"I could have been your friend. I should have been, but I was just a young girl that wanted to be like her parents. You were the daughter of the high priest, beautiful, admired, and loved," Kiley says quietly, "what could I do? I was just a young, plain girl. You were someone I wanted to be, but never could. You always looked lonely, but I could never think of what to say. I didn't know how to make anyone feel less lonely."
Tears begin streaming down her face as she talks.
"So what will you do now? Kill me? I guess I deserve it. After all I tried to do the same to you when I couldn't deny that you were behind this any longer. When I realized that you were the one that killed Momma."
A sad sobbing laugh echoes in the cell. "In the end, we're not that different. Both of us are just lost lonely girls that turned to more violent ways. You were put up on a pedestal so high that no one would get close, and I was so forgettable that I spent six months scrounging for scraps. I wonder what would have happened if I hadn't tried to steal from Ameiko that night. Would I have been at your side, razing Sandpoint to the ground? Would I have become another Chopper?"
"What if I had been your friend back then? Would you still be the Nualia I knew from my childhood? Would this have never happened?"
Sobs shake her shoulders. her eyes fall to the holy symbol around her neck, the one her mother had worn.
"I'm sorry, Nualia. I'm so sorry for whatever I did that made you hate me so much. I'm sorry that I wasn't a friend, the kind of friend I would want, to you. Can you forgive me? Can you ever forgive me?"
|
|
Tal spent most of his evening time shifting through the paperwork he got from the female wizards lab.
The next morning he joins the others at the Rusty Dragon for breakfast and has small ringlets around his eyes.
As Delendir starts going over the equipment he nods to most of it but holds up his finger when Delendir starts about the medallion.
"If you don't mind I will check to see if the medallion has another purpose by checking with our local librarian. He might know something more as this is the second item we found that is Thasselonian in origin."
Coming down for the morning fully rested, Jessica looks for Sunday in the main room before she actually performs her morning song. Not seeing him yet, she sits down to breakfast with Tal and Delendir, "Good morning," she looks at Tal with concern, "Didn't you sleep at all last night Tal?"
|
|
As elves don't need as much sleep Tal stayed up late in the inn trying to work out clues from the paperwork. A few candles flink to keep the darkness away while Tal peers over the documents, completely unaware of the others around him.
"Yes, but not as much as I would have liked. There is still a lot we do not know and I wanted to try and figure it out."
Kiley gasps in pain as she's slammed into the bars harder this time.
"You're wrong," she says softly, "You still have a chance to turn away from this, to let go of vengeance and hate."
Brown eyes look into violet ones, brown eyes that had never been good at concealing their owner's feelings. Brown eyes full of sorrow and regret. Brown eyes full of pain.
"If you hate Sandpoint so much, then kill me. Pour all your hatred into me if that will bring you peace again. I know what happened to you now. I know that you must have had a lot of pain, and sorrow, and hatred bottled up inside of you to go to that extreme, so let it out on me," the young warrior tells the mad priestess.
"But know this, I would have been your friend. You may have tried to kill me, you may be trying to kill me now, but at least you're up front about it. Maybe it is too late. Maybe you're so lost in your own pain and sorrow that you see bringing everyone else that same pain as the only way you can know joy or happiness, but I would been your friend. I would have helped you. I would have been your guide on this journey. I still will be, if you choose, but this is your choice, and the consequences are your own. That is price you pay for your vengeance," her words are soft, almost a whisper, but there's a tang of iron to them. Freedom meant freedom of choice, true, but it also meant that you had to accept the consequences when they came.
"You can't hide behind Lamashtu's will. Desna may wish for us to be good and do good, but we do so as ourselves, by our choices, not as her puppets. You choose this. You decided to follow a goddess of madness, but I believe that it's still not too late for you. It's never too late to turn things around and begin walking a different path, one step at a time," Kiley tells Nualia, her voice still quiet and even, not a trace of condemnation to be heard in her voice or seen in her eyes.
"What do you chose, Nualia Tobyn?"
Grace finally arrives for breakfast. She sits down and begins eating, quiet enough for the moment.
"Morning Grace, you certainly slept in."
"I'm surprised none of you did. We had a busy few days." Grace says as she spreads jam on her toast. "Are we still intent on going to kill something that has been imprisoned for who knows how long and probably will remain that way if left alone?"
"Repent of my ways for what? An opportunity to go to the headsman's block and make everyone feel good about themselves in the bargain?" She speaks huskily, her words forced through thick emotion. "I've killed gladly, willingly. What hope is there for me?"
"Sunday! Calm down! I'm alright," Kiley tells the man holding her away.
Once he lets go, Kiley slumps against the wall and slides down it until she's sitting.
"You asked what hope was there for you. How about the hope at a second chance? Don't the Heaven-Touched have long lives? Belor Hemlock is not an unkind man, if he believes that you want to atone for what you've done, I believe that he'll give you the chance," Kiley says softly. Her hand finding the dagger she'd dropped.
She stays quiet for a moment, looking at the blade of the knife in her hand.
"There's a part of me that wishes I'd just slit your throat back at Thistletop. A part of me wants to hate you for what you took from me," the young warrior closes her eyes, "but Momma and Poppa wouldn't be proud of me for doing that. I couldn't look myself or Ameiko in the eye if I gave into that hatred. I wouldn't be any better than any of Lamashtu's brood if I did that," she says slowly.
"I don't want you to die, Nualia. I don't want to grieve your death and regret not doing what I could to help you all over again. I want a second chance to fix that. I want to be your friend, like Ameiko has been for me. Like Jessica, and Sunday, here," Kiley's eyes open and look into Nualia's.
"If I had my way, I would turn back time and do what I should have done to begin with, and maybe we wouldn't be in this mess," Kiley waves her hands around, frustration coloring and raising her voice, "But we've already passed that crossroads. I don't think it's too late for you, for us, to take a different path. I haven't given up hope that the kind young woman is still there, and I don't think Desna has either. Or you."
Looking from Grace to Jessica the ranger asks "That's a good question. What are the auguries Jessica? Does Shelyn have something to say as whether a bad fate will come over us if we do not return to the lair to find Malfeshnekor?"
She remains there for a time before speaking again, "Desna turned his back on me before, surely he would not accept me now. I belong to the Mother, and what she clutches she does not let loose. Please leave me be."