Moussa does likewise, albeit not as well.
|
Moussa and Flynn
The voices in the hall seem to fade but both of you are sure that someone is still in the hall as you hear the sound of soft foot steps.
Pendin
You suddenly notice that you can only hear one step of footsteps now coming from the hallway outside the door.
Drake
You slip into the shadows and slide up next Pendin and can see he is concentrating. your guess is he is listening for something as he is looking toward the open door to the tunnel you guys first look at. He has a concerned look on his face.
Moussa attempts to quietly cast Detect the Faithful.
Pendin squints down at the open doorway, shakes his head, and concentrates again. He readies himself to grapple the first thing to show itself past the juncture. He hisses a whisper back to the group, "I think someone or something is coming in through the doors."
Flynn quietly creeps around the corner, but he cannot see all that well. "It's so dark in here, I cannot see a thing." Flynn whispers to himself
Pendin sees a body slowly proceeding from around the corner and hears a something muttered. He shoots his hand forward to grasp at whatever makes itself available, "Irori's perfection hold thee!" he cries out...
"What in the nine hells! Who goes there?"
Pendin's hand closes on a forearm of Flynn. After he begins to bring his other hand around to attempt to throw and pin the person, Pendin abruptly stops and lets go. His mouth drops. He closes and opens it a few times.
"FLYNN?!"
An arrow speeds by his ear causing him to flinch and he looks back,
"Stop shooting! I know this man...he's from my monastery."
Looking back at Flynn, he suddenly grins and wraps him in an embarrassingly big hug. "Flynn, I can't believe it's you! Is Moussa with you? I've never seen you two apart...well I never saw any of us apart since the Master's training..."
A clouded look crosses Pendin's face when he mentions the master, "You...aren't here because of the Master are you?"
"PENDIN!?!?! Is that you? Thank Irori, we can looking for you. Yes, Mouassa is here. MOUASSA! It's Pendin, he is here!"
The giant Mwangi laughs heartily. "Ha, of course! Why cast the spell when I can follow my eyes? I see your kung fu is still excellent."
Looking up to the Mwangi man, "It's good to see you both again. But please, tell me, why are you here and how did you find me?"
"We were sent to find you, old friend. Your old master ...his 'unorthodox teachings' have come to light within the greater temple. We know he taught you to hate the feykin."
"Attempted to teach me. That's why I left. If you're not here from him, then you too are acting on behalf of the Pathfinders?"
Pendin leads his two brothers towards the rest of the group. With a wave and a nod towards each member of his group he says, "This is Drake, Nexumis, Chirinide, Aelaeron, Malcolm and...has anyone seen Gelik?". Putting his hands on the two people's shoulders (or shoulder blades in the case of Moussa), "This is Flynn and Moussa. We shared a time at the same monastery. They could well be Irori's companions themselves, as sturdy and practiced as they are."
"Honored to meet you," Moussa bows. "A boon companion of my brother is my boon companion."
Welcome, your presence is greatly appreciated. Aelaeron gives a half bow, and the faerie dragon perched on his shoulder almost falls off before catching itself with butterfly wings. You could not have come at a better time. We have found these catacombs to be most challenging, but I think with your help, we shall prove to be their match. Now, if Chirinide is done fabricating new shields to Malcom, I say we should be off, unless, do either of you command a mastery over Irori's divine might? If so, when you have the opportunity, perhaps you can attempt to make Malcom's shields whole again with your magic. It is a long shot, but we should at least try.
"You should best be asking Moussa for that. All I use is my bow here, but Irori guides its arrows to their destination."
"I could pray for them to be made whole tomorrow."
"Monasteries? You didn't say you were from a monastery Pendin. Those are secluded places where people sit around praying and training, right?" Chirinide looks completely honest with the question.
"Those are both major parts of what we all did there, but not the whole thing." Flynn replies to the half elf. "There was some formal schooling, well, more of indoctrinating than actual teaching..."
"We three represent three of the main branches of our temple, the Blazing Lotus Temple, deed in the Tiger's Maw. Pendin, as a Blazing Lotus Monk, represents the Way of the Stone, where the body itself is molded like by master craftsmen. Flynn, a Brother of the Lotus Temple, is the Way of the Air, Meditative Mastery of Death From Afar. And I am a Blazing Lotus Priest, of the Way of the Water, Which Gives or Takes Life."
Pendin nods at the explanations Flynn and Moussa present to Chirinide. "Indeed, the monastic life was not for the easily bored or overly intelligent,at least not the Way of the Stone. I eventually left the monastery because of...troubling teachings I was receiving. I have not yet traveled far in my life, I came to Absalom and have not experienced much beyond. Truly, I am still a child in many ways." He looks directly at Chirinide, "Yes, prayer and training were much of what I've known, as well as absolutes. Perfection or ruin. Good or evil. Human or...Fey."
Another momentary look of regret crosses his face, and slight glisten in his eyes betrays the emotions inside.
"Weird, In my world there are no monasteries but some people do think that what you are matters, mostly in Kilstrom, only for them it's human or...well, nature is the closest word you have. Funny how conflict and hatred revolves around the things in which we don't get a choice, most of the time anyway. Actually got ran out of the town I appeared in for the same thing.
Anyway, lets get a move on, I vote we go through the sun room."
"Yes, let's go. It will be just like old times, right Pendin?"
Excellent, let's proceed. Who's in front?
Aelaeron insinuates himself into the center of the group.
Pendin nods, "Yes just like old times. I will gladly take the lead."
"What is it with you folks and this obsession over who is in front?"
"It's not an obsession...merely a tactical decision that needs to be made in an unfamiliar and potentially threatening place."
Luca, if you would be so kind, please have a look at that door to the south before we proceed.
Sure thing, Boss.
The little dragon dutifully wings over to the doors to the south, carefully examining the corridor, walls, ceiling and doors.
Flynn follows about 20 feet Drake with his bow drawn, sneaks behind him, and looks around
Nexumis follows in the middle of the group, two more huh, makes my job much easier. Pleased to meet you both. Im Nexumis, possibly able to make Malcoms shields work again, but i dont know the spell Im afraid. Lets get going, Drake did ya find any traps on the door there?
Nexumis hangs back a ways, watching to see if traps are found. His staff in hand, he leans against a wall,.
Chirinide sneaks along with everyone else.
Pendin travels down the passageway at the front of the party looking for any sign inhabitants.
Not very sneaky by nature, Moussa tries to stay behind all his compatriots while trying to move quietly.
"I can thank you enough for these Chirinide. I think they will do just fine until a better solution comes along."
Malcom equips himself with his new shields and marches right on ahead of the party, no stealth check required! An audible clang,clang,clang from his remaining Armor sounds an echo off the walls of the dungeon as he carries on.
Malcom pauses for a moment to look around and make sure he didn't take a wrong turn somewhere as half the party disappears from sight. The few he can see let him realize that he can't be too far off course.
Malcom! Come over here my friend, Aelaeron calls. There's something I'd like to discuss with you.
"Aelaeron, What is it my friend?"
Well Malcom, we are devising a new strategy. It involves letting the sneaky ones scout ahead, and bring us news of what's ahead. Hopefully this way, we won't lose any more shields, eh? he says with a wink.
Also, he adds, Nexumis and I need you here with us if you don't mind. Far too many ghastly horrors roving about for elves like me.