The man scowls and addresses Sayuki, "Watch out. I think he's up to something." He walks over to Salvius, picking up some rope from a hook on the barn wall, "Here, let's make sure you are tied off properly."
Linka, Tanya and Vina arrive. Their first image is of Shel holding her injured mother while her father attempts to tie up Salvius.
Anya and her husband are both wearing strange, tattered robes and there are weird insect masks on the floor.
Salvius has already been tied-up once and Sayuki has her hand on his shoulder as though she is the one who tied him up.
Meanwhile, there are two dead stirges and two stunned stirges on the floor. Well, just one stunned now as Ekanta just squished one of them to a paste.
|
This happens!
"Ah, hello, everyone. So, do you recall my mutterings that this town simply must have a dark secret? Human sacrifice. Shel was selected this year to be sacrificed to the Gossamer King, so Salvius here figured he'd do the noble thing and take her place. One virgin's as good as another, I suppose," she grins. "Care to come with us and bid ol' Salvy farewell in the next life?"
Saul ties-up Salvius, pulling the ropes tight, "Well, I'm very grateful. It's a noble thing you're doing. Good lad." He slaps Salvius on the shoulder, there are tears in the corners of his eyes, "You're doing right. She's a good girl."
Shel looks to Linka, "Well, most people don't know, not really. I didn't know until a few months ago but, well, daddy says we've got to carry that burden. The first families, you know, we've got to protect Ravenmoor and that means calling on Ghlaunder's powers sometimes. The Gossamer King is our protector." She shrugs, "Desna doesn't seem interested in quiet, little Ravenmoor."
Saul gestures out of the barn, "You lot better get back to the mayor's house, before you're noticed missing." and moves to lead Salvius away.
"Oh, absolutely not. None of us would ask Salvius to face this on his own," she says, technically truthfully.
"So, walk me through the process. Where are we taking ol' noble Salvy?"
Time to play the dangerous game of determining how long to stay in and when it would be most effective to pull out.
"The Chenowitz Place, like I said. That's where I'll be taking him." He shakes his head, "They wouldn't like it if you guys showed up." he looks over at his daughter, "We've got to think about Shel, after all."
|
"Don't mention it, sir! Only doing what I think is right, I think. Sayuki makes a good point, who's to say the Gossamer King would appreciate our little switcheroo? If we want to pull this off, we might need the wisdom, moxie and character only my companions can provide. After all, we are experts in diplomacy!"-as he chafes under the rope and giggles nervously.
|
|
Ekanta turns his...unique...stare toward Shel and Saul. Though still quite restrained seems much more intense than usual. "You say you need this god's protection...but from what? How do you KNOW you need His protection...and who, in turn, is there who might protect you from your god? I left my own homeland of Wanshou to escape life under such a 'god'. Before I did, little did I know how much freedom and power life could truly offer. Are you certain your god deserves such a tribute? I believe it was a great Galtan sorcerer (or somesuch) who said 'nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.'"
Saul stamps his foot, "You don't know. You're not one of us. The blight, it seeps in from the swamps, from the, uh, the miasma, or maybe there's drought? Or something makes the insects breed like crazy. Or any other thing that kills the crops, renders the animals barren and drives us to the edge of starvation. And every time, the Gossamer King has pulled Ravenmoor back from the brink. That's the burden of the founding families. Keeping Ravenmoor alive" There is an edge of pride in his voice.
Saul scowls at Linka, "You play the hand your dealt. Life out here can be pretty great: you've seen that yourselves today. I play my part; I've no complaints." He begins to push Salvius toward the barn doors beyond Ekanta, Shel, darling, stay with your mother. I'll be back soon."
”The other founding families, at least, those who carry the secret of our protector.”
|
|
"Right. Of course. So, here's the thing," says Sayuki, her fingers curling around her bowstring.
"I, for one, have come up against dark gods demanding people sacrifice themselves for one reason or another before. I've come out on top of those confrontations."
"People around the world live comfortable lives without slaying their loved ones. I'm sorry that you've been tricked into doing so before, but there are plenty of gods who would be happy to help you through the hard times without resorting to this. Daikitsu, for one, though her worship isn't as popular around here. Desna already puts in a presence around here, and she's no slouch in helping her own."
She gives the bowstring a quick two tugs, letting her bow flex without actually drawing it.
"Saul, you're a loving father. I'm a mother, myself. If someone came after my kid, I wouldn't find some other kid to take her place. I would cut them down, burn the earth they stood upon, and find a new place to settle down."
"What happened to you that made you think this would possibly be okay?"
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Salvius would just let himself be led by Saul, as he snickers and says to the party-"I'll be fine, friends! What are the chances a bunch of old geezers will have the heart to sacrifice little ol' Salvy? I'll talk them out of this, and then they'll follow along with whichever path I take!"-shooing away the party and winking.
Saul pushes Salvius along faster, "Leave well alone now. He's coming along. You let him and me be."
Shel begins to weep, clutching on to her wounded mother's hand.
|
|
Salvius yells as he sees Sayuki flex her bow-"Please, Sayuki! You don't have to do this! I can convince the elders! Surely an act of good faith such as this will sway their hearts! Think of the trail of bodies we would leave behind if we challenged the honest way these guys live by!"-as he squirms in his rope.
He tries his best to reassure Saul he means him no harm as he says-"Please, gimme a second, I'll try to reason with her."-looking back at Sayuki and saying-"This man is only trying to protect his daughter and his way of life. In every step he takes, he leaves behind the mark of a man that knows what must be done to protect his town. And I, in tow, travel my path of protecting those in need."-winking repeatedly throughout the whole speech.
Salvius attempts to convey a secret message but fails
Saul doesn’t notice but neither does anyone else.
|
|
"Enough." Vina drops from Lakadee's leaves, points to Saul, and calmly says, "Lakadee, subdue."
She then approaches Shel, simian murder in her eyes, "Girl, I will heal your mother if you tell your father to stand down. No one is taking Salvius from me tonight. Not him. Not you... until your father is back in the barn and has untied Sal, the tree will keep beating your dad into the ground."
"Ahem," interrupts Vina, having observed and listened to this convoluted conversation for far too long, "Saul, why is your wife injured? and if I understand correctly, your festival's purpose is to identify the correct sacrifice each year yes?"
Saul looks down miserably at his wounded wife, ”Let’s call that a misunderstanding.”
The second question gets a shake of the head, ”No, the feast is a every month. It’s not for that. There have been more sacrifices recently. A difficult time is coming, maybe.”
Saul, weaponless and tired, is dragged into the barn and pinned to the floor, ”No, Ravenmoor must be protected! Me girl!” The man flails uselessly against the tree.
Shel looks pleadingly at Vina, ”Please, don’t hurt him!” She looks at the ground, still kneeling beside her mother, her pretty dress from the feast stained and crumpled, ”It’s okay. I’ll go. It’s meant to be me anyway.”
The young woman looks to Salvius, ”Sorry. I wasn’t lying, before, it’s just, well, things changed when I got home. Not that it matters now.”
She stands, steeling herself.
Saul calls out, ”No, Shel! Hide away, they’ll find someone else. We’ll make an excuse.”
|
|
Vina motions for Lakadee to stop. "Shut up the both of you. No one is getting sacrificed! If you keep being vague, however, maybe I'll let nature take its course," interjects Vina, looking at Lakadee to make a point. "Start talking: I want the entire list of your mosquito cult, their function, and who they report to. I'll throw the healing of your mother for free if you tell us what happened to the Tax Collector. If you cooperate like normal people, for crying out loud, we'll take care of finding an excuse for your dumb village and see to your protection. Talk!"
Vina had never had a violent thought within herself until now. At the moment she felt like the worst part of nature, and the idea of burning down the entire village and surrounding trees to cleanse, purify and reboot this fetid swamp crossed her mind.
Saul starts shouting,
Shel shakes her head, ”Stop it daddy, stop it!”
She looks to Vina, ”The Chenowitz place, it’s...” she proceeds to give directions.”Everyone wears masks. I don’t know...”
Ekanta quickly silences Saul.
|
|
Sayuki sighs, letting her string straighten out again.
"Right. I hate to have resorted to violence, but we're trying to stop more violence, and..."
She frowns. This was getting complicated.
"Shel, Shel's Mom, he should be fit to recover just fine with some bed rest. We'll come back to help when we've gotten to the bottom of this, if you'll allow us."
With that, she turns to the rest. "Let's get on our way, then."
Vina had never had a violent thought within herself until now. At the moment she felt like the worst part of nature, and the idea of burning down the entire village and surrounding trees to cleanse, purify and reboot this fetid swamp crossed her mind.
Shel shakes in terror, "I don't know, I don't know, I don't know. Who is that? I've only been to a couple of ceremonies. I'm not properly initiated. If I was I wouldn't be..." She breaks down in tears.
She glances nervously about, as if fearful of being overheard, "Mayor Kriegler, he knows everything that happens here. And Alizna, the weaver, she's the only other one I know." She closes her eyes, "Just the way she walks, all crooked, even in a robe and a mask you can tell."