Ann screams in horror, loud and shrill, as the darkness takes her eyes. Seething in furry she stabs out at the witch, or at least she hopes it is the witch, following her voice is all she has to be sure.
Piotr's face clenches in pain and worry at his sister's scream but he can't let up. Ignoring the beast he tries to kill the witch.
Hanako dives toward Piotr and heals him…
…a little.
She then says…
“Why sacrifice yourselves for me? You know all I can do is bolster your ability with my song!”
Hanako’s song has no magic and she knows it. But she puts on the act in the hope that Kilarra and Garrosh will stop thinking about sacrifice and start thinking about winning.
You think you lured
My friends into a trap
Well, think again
This conundrum’s yours to grapple
How frightening your wrath
That forced us down this path
The fight is four on two
Why don’t you do the math?
"Fine. You can die here if you're so desperate to be a hero. I consider my mission to be complete."
Kilarra picks up her sword and retreats from the battle.
Baldhart dings and buzzes… but it’s no use. Her words cannot be understood.
"We are in disarray" - the half-orc grunts, yet his resolve is the same, and he shoots the woman again.
Ann being shocked by being blinded throws her aim off, but Piotr manages to land a good slash on her. Garrosh's arrows bounce off a yellow shield.
The Byakhee continues to attack Piotr with bite and claw.
The woman gestures at Piotr. "Do you meddlesome fools can stop my great scheme? You couldn't even protect your sister!"
Piotr feels despair on hearing her words and freezes.
Kilarra suddenly sees Winter at the top of the stairs,"Oh so that's where you are, I heard you went to rescue Hanako - what the hell is going on here?!"Then Winter pushes past Kilarra to get to the bottom of the stairs.
The party hears from the top of the stairs, Winter's voice "..is going on here?!" Then Winter appears at the bottom of the stairs, pulls out her holy symbol and sends a wave of healing energy through the party.
Hanako uses the wand on Piotr again.
“Disarray, yes… but I did not slip out of my shackles to flee. The flying monster must die—this is not about me.”
Baldhart is relieved that someone followed. She folds her hands in a gesture of thanks to Winter.
Her words force Piotr to face all the fear and guilt he has about their situation. The fighter's sword arm flatters, his eyes turn to his ghost of a sister, and he knows this witch is right.
He has failed.
"You daft rockhead!" Ann snaps, knowing her brother's emotions even if she is unable to see his reactions. She attempts to stab the woman again. "I. AM. NOT. DEAD! Noone needs to SAVE ME!"
Her words, combined with the healing that washes over him from their lost bard and their just in time cleric, brings him back from the brink of despair, his dark eyes returning to look at their enemy. "You heard her. She's fine."
Kilarra sighs. "I hope you got a few more of those. Hey, you got anything that'll help Garrosh? He's walking stiff as a zombie. Can barely bend his elbow to shoot a bow."
Kilarra follows after Winter and casts a spell upon herself.
The woman's taunting of Piotr may have caused Piotr to falter, but it further incensed Ann, who stabs the woman viciously, who begins to look slightly worried.
"Yes I do." Winter says confidently."Garrosh's problem will need to wait."
Both Garrosh and Kilarra know that Winter is just putting on a brave front in her first statement. The second statement is entirely truthful though.
"Don't mind me, I am ok" - Garrosh grunted at Winter - "Good to see you" - he adds, but continues shooting at the woman.
Garrosh manages to send another arrow into the woman.
The byakhee continues to bite and claw at Piotr.
The woman moves away from Anne and casts a spell as some of her wounds heal.
Winter sends another healing wave over the party.
Tooth and claw rake his shield and armor, but somehow he manages to avoid them on his flesh. Pushing the creature back he goes after the spellcaster still.
"Anne! The way!" he calls his sister to his side with his voice, trying to direct her attacks to the one he is trying to stab as well.
Hanako heals Piotr again!
Baldhart cheers the party on! “B-b-b-bringgg!”
Kilarra steps towards the monster and attacks cautiously, ready to parry any attacks it might dish out.
Garrosh unleashes two more arrows at the woman.
Piotr manages to slash at the woman, while Ann stabs her in her back.
Kilarra slices the byakhee, as Garrosh shoots the woman in her heart, then fires another shot that nearly hits Kilarra at the Byakhee.
The Byakhee turns on Kilarra with a screech, one claw getting through Kilarra's defences.
"One down and one more to go." Winter mutters to herself as she casts guidance on Garrosh.
Kilarra is no longer concerned about the battle, but she continues to fight cautiously, knowing that eventually the beast will fall.
Hanako rushes over to the fallen woman. If she has a blade that Hanako knows how to use, Hanako will arm herself!
"She's dead" Piotr tells his sister "But we still have that flying thing." he leads her with his voice toward it and tries to help take it down.
Baldhart dings a cheer for Ann, who is an amazing warrior even with her eyes magically shut!
She looses an arrow for support.
"And so you fall" - with a satisfied grunt as the woman is taken down, Garrosh shifts his focus, attacking the beast assaulting Piotr and Anna.
Hanako finds a rapier on the fallen woman. Kilarra's tired swings do not penetrate the byakhee's hide but Piotr manages to slice through it's neck.
"Okay, we've rescued Hanako and had enough adventure for the night, no?" Winter raises an eyebrow at the party. "And next time you go off on a rescue mission, could you at least have the decency to inform me?" Winter berates the party exasperatedly.
On the woman, the party finds the following items, a scroll of cure serious wounds, a scroll of dismissal 2 scrolls of restoration, a scroll of sending; a +1 chain shirt, +1 rapier, headband of inspired wisdom +2, ring of protection +1, silver unholy symbol and powdered diamond (worth 400 gp) and a set of keys.
The party finds next to the stone stelae is a chest which when opened with the keys, contains Hanako's gear.
"You are right - we were not thinking straight. We should have let you know before getting ourselves into this..." - Garrosh apologizes to Winter, then turns his own glare at Hanako - "What. Happened?" - he manages to stay calm and composed somehow
Hanako takes the rapier and pierces the yellow-blooded creature. She leaves the blade buried in its face and just glares at the thing.
“Maeve sets sail tomorrow. This is the monster that has been attacking ships.”
In reply to Garrosh, “It seems woman set a trap. A child told me Maeve wanted to see me. I thought Baldhart flying me to her would keep us safe, but the creature anticipated our aerial route. It swooped from the clouds, flying faster than Baldhart, so we could not escape or come to you for help.
“Fighting it was futile, I know… I know I am quite harmless, but it was that or surrender. Surrender is stupid if the enemy is going to kill you anyway.”
Kilarra clenches her jaw shut in an attempt to keep her emotions in check. She doesn't know the right words to say, but that just adds to her frustration all the more. She kicks the dead beast in a vain attempt to release the stress. "You." She looks at Hanako. "You noodle-armed ditz. You're a complete liability. I don't want to die for you. You'd just get yourself in trouble again."
Hanako could retort… but her ability to find the most piercing words might just earn her an ass-kicking.
“A complete liability? No upsides at all? I suppose I should feel insulted, but your brutal honesty only makes a difficult decision relatively easier.
“I am going to join Maeve and Naysa. There is a grand theater where they are headed.” Hanako hands over the healing wand. “I appreciate you saving my life. I will go and live it.”
As the other have words with her, Piotr just walks over and envelops the woman in a hug. "I'm glad you are alive." he says simply, before releasing her and pats her shoulder.
Ann chimes in "Me too." though her tone is flat with depression. "I still can't see." she explains.
To Winter "Thank you, Winter. We'd have been dead there without you." it seems he wants to crush her in a hug as well, but he restrains himself.
"So we come to your rescue, and you leave?" - Garrosh shook his head - "You are going to leave us behind, spitting blood and guts and nursing our wounds, to go... To a place... With what? A grand theater?" - he just stands there in disbelief, staring at Hanako - "You 'appreciate' we saving your life...?" - the half-orc stammers, clearly at a loss for words.
Eventually he shuts up, and walks away - "Whatever Hanako. Have a good life" - there is a momentary pause at the door, and then the archer continues toward the outdoors, and fresh air.
"I think Hanako isn't the only person who made questionable decisions. If any of you should decide to go harrying off on your own, it would be good to inform the next person where you're going." Winter glares at the entire party.
"Let me mediate for quarter an hour. I can fix your blindness." Winter tells Ann. "Though we should do it somewhere safer - I had to sneak past two floating barrel things to get here. They were asleep. Not sure if they're going to wake up anytime soon."
Baldhart bobs up and down, and wiggles her limbs like tentacles while glowing the same color as the odd, rat-eating creatures. She then dings excitedly.
Hanako is takes in Piotr’s embrace, and gives Ann a big hug. She then offers her arm, “I am not in such a hurry. Let me help you, Ann.”
As for Baldhart’s reaction, Hanako explains to Winter, “Baldhart seems to like the… barrel things?”
"We should have told you Winter. We just let worry cloud our heads. Can't promise that won't happen again, but if it starts to, I'll remember your glare, I promise that at least." Piotr tries to explain, as he helps his sister out of the bad place.
Kilarra huffs and flicks the blood from her blade onto the wall. If Garrosh hasn't already collected the treasure, she'll busy herself with that. Then she hefts her sword upon her shoulder, and marches out with the rest of them.
On the way, Kilarra says "The silver symbol on the cultist. It should be melted down. That kind of stuff shouldn't exist."
Hanako busies herself with a note while Winter meditates. She will hand the note to Piotr or Winter, adding the appropriate name to the salutation before doing so.
Baldhart also signs the note after Hanako quietly reads it to her.
"Um... what's this?" Piotr looks confused, but gets the idea and reads the note.
Hanako replies, “It is perhaps cowardice on my part. I cannot explain myself to the others, and honestly, I have barely had time to process all that happened.
“You all saved my life, and all I want is to thank you. But… there is so much anger. It is not as if I was lying on fluffy pillows.” Hanako points to the stele and shackles. “These yellow-robes sure do not know how to treat a sacrificial virgin.”
She does not crack a smile, despite her little joke.
“Piotr, Ann, you both have been wonderful to me… and Garrosh and Kilarra will never understand how much I admired them. But the feeling is not mutual. I cannot unsee that.
“I will leave my thoughts with you. If you think them too harsh, well… just tell the gist I suppose.”
She hands off the letter.
Please feel free to read this to the others verbatim, or sugarcoat as you see fit.
I apologize for parting like this, and I understand that I may appear ungrateful, bordering on treacherous. I cannot imagine what hardships you faced seeking me. I wish this letter could simply be a thank you note and nothing more.
However, I cannot help but notice how much our sense of teamwork fell apart the moment I brandished a healing wand. And as I have been asked to explain myself so much, I thought I should include an explanation of my wish to depart.
I am not a hardened warrior. I have exactly who talents that matter in battle: bolstering confidence and healing. However otherwise useless I am in the good fight, I believe I have proven on more than one occasion that there is no circumstance in which I would flee while one of you is in danger. I trusted all of you to do the same for me and for each other, so imagine my surprise when the strongest of you said to me:
“You can stay here and die.”
…and retreated!
I do not understand why. Why go through the trouble of saving me, then give up and leave half our number to die? My life is not worth one of yours, certainly not three of yours! Is it because of a lack of faith in my ability? Does my presence not only fail to inspire courage, but now my words and song have the opposite effect?
I cannot be certain. All I know is that, in a difficult moment, when I put on a brave front as a show of strength for the enemy, I was opposed and abandoned by an ally. My trust was broken, and yet while the witch’s body was still warm, I was being admonished for my gullibility. If my foolishness for walking into the witch’s trap is so deserving of ridicule, then consider myself now-wisened in regard to whom I place my trust.
My hope for you is that, in my absence, the discordance will disappear with me, and you will again act as an unfaltering team, no longer burdened by the “liability.” Only then, might you understand my motive for departure is not entirely selfish.
I truly will all of you well.
With Some Regret & Much Love,
~Hanako
X
She then says, “I truly am sorry about this, but Maeve and Naysa depart in the morning. Their ship is my one chance to be where I am not seen as a liability.
“Perhaps someone can pass my apologies to the painter. The girl in the pink robe was obviously me, despite lacking a face, and the fairy in blue on my shoulder… we did not even know Baldhart at the time. I hope Shelyn forgives me for defying my destiny as depicted by a fellow artist.”
Piotr reads, with a frown then with a sigh tries to explain "Listen, we've been through hell, all of us, yourself included, but... well Kirana, Garrosh, Ann, and me woke up with this big hole in our heads, and have been finding over and over we did things in that hole we're ashamed of and can't understand WHY we did them. Are we the same people we were, are we... worse then what we've even seen? On top of that, it's been rivers of blood, screams, being eaten, and finding more and more people dead. Every day." he cocks his head to two that left already "They're broken. We're all broken. Doing all we can to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. So... forgive them, if you could?" he gives Hanako a soft half smile. "But yay, you don't need to go through this to find your answers. You know them. So take care of the little girl, make her smile a dozen times a day. Okay?"
Hanako smiles. “It helps when you put it that way.
“I do not know if I will ever learn my past. I decided it does not matter. I hope when you learn who you were, it will not change who you are.”
She contemplates forgiveness. “Yes. Definitely yes. And the only truth of tonight that Maeve and Naysa will know is that you all saved my life.”
The party returns the way they came from, thankfully the Elder Things having ate too much rat, seem to have gone back into hibernation. They do not twitch any of their eyes as the party passes them. The party emerges from the basement to a night shower, the rain washing their sweat and blood off their clothes."Right, why is it always raining in Thrushmoor?"Winter grumbles. Once the party is out of Iris Hill, Winter indicates to stop at the nearest shophouse while she meditates to prepare remove blindness,then touches Ann, curing her blindness. "I can only prepare restoration tomorrow." Winter tells Garrosh.
"You can cast a restoration?" Kilarra asks with surprise
When Ann’s eyes adjust, she sees Baldhart hovering before her, the fairy’s right hand forming a V with two fingers.
She asks Ann, “Ting b-b-bing?”
She then outstretches the hand with the two fingers maintaining that V. ✌️
Ann is anxious as her milky eyes stare blindly forth, but then a blink, and another, and then she SMILES. "Thank you!" she tells Winter with more emotion than she normally shows, which brings color to her pallid green cheeks.
"Yes. Two. I see them. Thank you as well, Baldhart."
Baldhart claps enthusiastically.
She sees me —and— understands me!
She adjusts the hue of her luminous skin to match Ann’s green glow.
Hanako makes sure she has an escort. She cannot wait to tell Maeve the news.
Having said her goodbyes, Hanako does not look back. This is the third time she has left one family for another. Can I just settle in with Naysa and Maeve? Will the theater adore me? Of course they will!—and Maeve too. I will train her…
At some point in the night, there is a violet glow. Its source, obscured by the silhouette of a woman. She is wearing a dress or a robe, loose and flowing, and perhaps she has on a fine hat… or is that a flower in her hair? Why not both?
She pauses to assess the people before her. Those she followed into town at some point since they had come from the direction of Iris Hill…
The source of the light reveals itself—a fairy clad in what is surely a doll’s dress. She is about a foot tall, with rainbow arcs around her.
She sits on the woman’s shoulder, and audibly whispers, “You should say something, y’know. So they don’t think we’re assassins.”
And to the people: “We’re not assassins.”