... "Thank you," the boy said with a relieved sigh. "How much longer do you think before they kill me?" The boy asked, as though he were wondering if it might rain.
"I believe we have seen the last of them. They won't harm you. But we do need to get to Khel Zhed to find someone who can dispell that evil tattoo. Look forward to being your old self again. If you've never been to Khel Zhed before, you are in for some wonderful sights, smells, and tastes."
Gitana slept fitfully, plagued by a dream of being trapped in a haunted house, unable to find her way out. Each time she got to a door she thought would lead to freedom, it instead led her back to where she had started.
Come morning, she prepared spells for travel, keeping a few combat spells available should they encounter trouble before reaching the city.
Duplicate, ignore.
The Vision Intelligence CN
The Tyrant Charisma LE
+4 bonus against spells cast from scrolls
At any one time for the rest of that day, you may apply a +2 bonus on any d20 roll modified by Charisma.
As she contemplated her Harrow card draws, she worried a bit over the appearance of a card called The Tyrant, a card connected to lawful evil activities. She knew that Khel Zhed had a king who did not have a reputation for evil, but she wondered if the group should avoid calling attention to themselves when in the presence of dwarves who might covet the group's skillset.
As others roused and began to prepare for the day, she cast a spell to forecast the weather, hoping to learn if there was anything that might slow them down. Then she said, "I've prepared Nature's Path to help us find the best route. I've prepared the mount for Will and three castings of the set of horses we have used in the past to speed our travel. We can leave the sled behind and bring the draft horse with us. If the horses begin to tire, the wand we use for healing can refresh them so they can keep moving at a gallop. With any luck, we may be able to reach Khel Zhed before sunset."
On the topic of Khel Zhed, she said, "I think we should seek out the leader of the church of Seranrae when we get to the city. We can show him the letter of introduction from Sister Benedicta. If anyone can help us, it will be Father Frances. We should otherwise keep a low profile, as the dwarves have been known to force adventurers to serve their needs."
"I believe we have seen the last of them."
Will smiled wide when you said this, his small white teeth showing.
"Look forward to being your old self again."
"I am the same boy I always was, am I not?" There was something almost forlorn in his voice, but also something mocking.
---------
Will looked at you for a moment. Norde was just starting to stir. He wouldn't be able to see anything when he woke, not until he lit his ioun stone. Then the boy raised a hand, long and white, with flecks of black beginning to creep under his sleeve and towards his fingers. He waved goodbye, then casually started walking away.
You dreamt of war and thunder. Waves crashed against the side of a ship, drums were booming, men heaving at their ores.
Suddenly, you felt a sharp sensation at your side. Someone was kicking you awake. "-more comfortable," you heard Hedrak say. Who was he talking to? It was completely dark, your ioun stone covered while you slept.
Hedrak moved around, and stepped in front of Will. Raziel sensed something amiss, and followed suit with a hiss.
"That is far enough - lets go back" - Hedrak insisted, ignoring the creeping blackness for now.
You heard a sudden hiss from the darkness. Things were still a bit fuzzy, but was that a pair of shiny, catlike eyes not fifteen feet away?
[b]"That is far enough - let's go back," you heard Hedrak saying.
Your light was sudden and sharp, illuminating the trees and your brand new sleigh. The eyes you had seen were Raziel's, the familiar glaring at Will. Why was the boy awake? He turned to look at you. "Why have you drawn your sword?" he asked, suddenly afraid. "Hedrak, you will protect me from him, won't you?" The boy hid behind Hedrak, looked with scared eyes in your direction. You were fairly certain there wasn't anything dangerous behind you.
Norde's ioun stone activated, sending sharp light across the trees. Their bark was rough and dark. The giant man was bleary eyed and rose to his feet slowly, drawing his sword. "Why have you drawn your sword?" Asked Will, the boy suddenly afraid. "Hedrak, you will protect me from him, won't you?" He slid behind you, watching Norde carefully.
The sound of Zordt's soft snoring was broken by the faint sound of voices outside the sleigh. You two had been sleeping inside, there was more room now that you and your horse had eaten off some of the food. Gitana rolled fitfully in her sleep, eyes rolling inside their lids as she struggled to escape her nightmare. Suddenly, a light outside the sleigh snapped on. You both awoke immediately.
"Why have you drawn your sword," you heard Will saying. His voice quavered with dismay. "Hedrak, you will protect me from him, won't you?" What was going on?
+1 vs surprised
"You've nothing to fear from me boy." He looked to Hedrak. "What are you two about?"
She applied armor to herself, listening intently for clues about what/who was outside.
Hedrak pulled Will in front of him - "The boy has been acting weird for a couple of nights - he was about to wander off into the dark by himself" - Hedrak nodded at Norde - "And those 'tattoos' he has... They are active again"
As Will tried to slide behind Hedrak, the magus grasped the boy and pulled him back towards the sleigh. Something wild seemed to fill the child, he ducked away from the magus, wriggling like an eel. Another moment and he broke free, sprinting off into the woods. You were shocked by his speed, the snow about his feet doing little to impede his progress.
You grabbed your bow and slid off the edge of the sleigh, glancing around to see what was hapenning.
"You've nothing to fear from me boy." The voice was Norde's. "What are you two about?" he asked. The blonde giant had his sword drawn, and was standing next to the sleigh.
About fifteen feet away, Hedrak was standing behind Will. "The boy has been acting weird for a couple of nights - he was about to wander off into the dark by himself" Hedrak nodded at Norde. "And those 'tattoos' he has... They are active again."
Will was trying to get behind Hedrak, looking at Norde with wide and fearful eyes. Hedrak grabbed him, trying to pull him back. Suddenly, something wild possessed the boy. He ducked away from the magus, wriggling like an eel. Another moment and he broke free, sprinting off into the woods. You were shocked by his speed, the snow about his feet doing little to impede his progress.
"You've nothing to fear from me boy." The voice was Norde's. "What are you two about?" he asked.
"The boy has been acting weird for a couple of nights - he was about to wander off into the dark by himself." Replied Hedrak. "And those 'tattoos' he has... They are active again."
A moment later you heard sounds of a struggle and a muffled shout. Zordt was already out of the sleigh, watching whatever was going on.
Hedrak snarled and cast a spell under Will, covering the ground with a layer of slippery grease.
Zordt frowned at the fleeing Will. Then he drew and arrow and fires it at the boy!
Gitana emerged from the shelter of the sleigh to see what was going on. "What's happening? Where's Will?!"
She casts light so she and Norde can see better.
Will seemed to be touched by the fates. He nimbly kept his feet under him despite Hedrak's spell, though he nearly fell over when he kept running. A moment later and Zordt's arrow struck him square in the back. He seemed to twist and squirm, animated by some energy you had not seen before. But the tar still slowed his movement. Even without it, Norde was shockingly fast when not wearing his armor, and probably would have caught up to him.
When the barbarian drew close, Will stopped suddenly and fell to the ground. "What will you do with me now?" He asked the big man. He seemed to have given up running for now, and limped his way back to the sleigh.
Gitana gulped when she saw Will returning in Norde's tow. She braced herself for what she would see and cast her spell to detect fiendish presences. She had to see if the demon in Will had grown stronger, knowing it was almost a certainty.
"As much as I hate it, we may have to bind him to keep him from running away or causing trouble. The demon inside him must be getting close to being free to control him."
Norde looked at Will and smiled, "the same as I have been doing for some time now. Protecting you against all comers, including your own idiocy."
Zordt frowned at Will's return, both concerned and upset. "Are we going to have to tie you down so you don't run while we sleep? Come Will, we are so close, less than a day."
"Are we going to have to tie you down so you don't run while we sleep?"
Will shook his head nervously. "I promise I'll be good, I don't know what came over me." He looked at each of you in turn with wide, glassy eyes.
"The boy needs to be bound" - Hedrak commented, adamant - "He is now a danger to himself and others"
Zordt frowned at Hedrak, and back at Will. "No, we must trust the lad. He is not a monster. He is one of us. You are one of us." Zordt kneeled down and squeezed Will's shoulder reassuringly.
"He is not himself Zordt" - Hedrak insisted - "Last night he was heading toward the horses with blade in hand - said the heartbeat of the creature was too loud..." - the half-orc added - "Today this" - and shook his head - "If he slips my watch, who knows what may happen?" - he insisted.
"I know he is not a monster, and that is why we are all here to help him. Binding him would be the best for himself also"
"I must, reluctantly, agree with Hedrak. We are close, which means we won't have to take this precaution for long. We are not so much binding Will as that evil that is fixed on his skin. It could overwhelm his will and do Fate knows what. I'm sorry, Will. We have sacrificed so much to get you here. Bear with this precaution for a day, please."
Norde nodded, "yes, it brings me no joy, but the boy should be restrained until we can figure this out."
Will backed away slowly as you closed in on him. When Zordt squeezed his shoulder, he clung to the half orc and wouldn't let go. Though he would not offer any physical resistance, he cried, looked up at you with doe eyes, and generally made you feel guilty about what you were doing.
Not long after you finished tying Will, you heard noises from the road. Travelers, moving quickly, perhaps at a fast jog. For a moment you were certain you were imagining things, as you saw no light on the road. Then you noticed a certain chill in the air which crept below your clothes and into your hearts. Was it more of the greyskins? You quickly covered your lights. Good thing you had tied Will, if there was more fighting to come and he still felt possessed by the same madness, he would not be able to flee.
You heard croaking voices in an old tongue, just as the greyskin you had captured and interrogated before arriving at Burkesville had used. It was clear that they hadn't seen you, perhaps you had done a surprisingly good job of hiding your sleigh after all? It was clear that there were a significant number of voices and that they were on the road, near the eastern edge of the cliff face you had used as an ambush site earlier.
"Yes, my Lord, the signs of some confrontation are obvious. But what exactly happened here is unclear. As I said before, I have seen no signs of passage for some time now, as the snows have covered the tracks."
"Idiot." The voice was cold and sharp, a bare hiss in the dark. "We must hope Lord Hakon and his band at least succeeded in slowing them down, and press on. With any luck, we may yet catch them before they reach that fortification."
A third voice spoke up, high and croaking. "Yeess, we mussst catchhh them." There was general agreement from several other voices. "Shall I ffly ahead again, and try to sslow thheir passsssage? They had a cart, perhapsss...a tree acrosss the road?"
The second voice spoke again. "No, Baren, we need you with us when we fight them. We must have overwhelming force or they may kill us all." There was a bitter tone in the words. "Cain, you stay here and try to read the signs of the confrontation, however long it takes. The rest of us shall press on."
Once Zordt was sure they were out of earshot, he quietly translated what he heard to the others. "We need a plan, now." Zordt reached into his pack and took out a small vial and dropper, then turned his gaze to the sky and dropped the liquid into his eyes. He blinked with a wince.
"It sounds like they may have lost us. We can slip into the wilderness, take a longer and obscured route." Zordt suggested. "With Gitana's magic and the horses, few would be able to keep up with us, even if they did manage to discover our ruse."
It would be possible to avoid the first fortification you had been aiming for, which the road led to, and strike out towards the opposite side of the valley. You would, however, be lengthening the distance between yourselves and a truly safe place to rest.
With his heightened senses, it was easy for Zordt to hear the sounds of a single greyskin who had remained behind poking around the battle site. He was getting uncomfortably close.
The darkness was oppressive.
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Gitana understood the old tongue but she dared not saying anything while the group was so near. When the main group moved on, she put a finger over her lips to warn not to speak above a low whisper. She drew everyone close enough that she could whisper what she heard.
She paraphrased the conversation, "They discussed splitting up but feared us enough to remain together. They left one behind. We should take him out. They said there was a fortification closer to Khel Zhed that they were afraid we'd reach. They speak of Lords and there may be another group out there. There is at least one flyer."
Gitana checked that her crossbow was loaded and cocked. She could not see in the darkness and dared not uncover her light until the attack was underway so she waited for the others to plan the attack on Cain.
"First thing then, is to kill the one left behind?"
"I disagree. If we kill the one left behind, they have reason to suspect we were here. Let them continue on in their ignorance."
"That's why I'm not the brains of the operation."
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"I can also conjure a cloud of mist to obscure our passage"
"I don't think we should use the mist. If they're smart they may realize it was conjured intentionally. Ideally they have no idea at all where we are. Good plan to save for later if they are closing in though."
"Ok then - I can try to lead the horse"
Gitana was prepared to follow the plan, but she pointed out, "If the one they left behind figures out what happened, he may be able to track us."
"So, we sneak away from their scout, right?"
"Maybe. I'm hoping that he finds nothing, and returns to the group to confirm that we were not left behind. Of course it's not like we've been covering our tracks particularly well. Perhaps it is best to eliminate him." Zordt looked conflicted, unsure of their best course of action.
"Zordt, I can make you invisible for a few seconds - you can jump and grab him over the mouth" - Hedrak explained - "When you do, you will become visible. Norde and I dash in and take him out. Sounds good?"
"Agreed. Let's take him out."
Gitana took up a position behind Hedrak and moved where he moved, relying on his darkvision to lead her toward the straggler or to an escape route, whichever was decided upon. Her light spell was covered with her cloak, ready to illumine the scene when needed. She worried about Will making noise but since she couldn't control everything, she focused on what she could do to help.
Norde held his ion stone firmly in a fist to hide the light, but was ready to place it above his head, so he could pursue the creature if called upon to do so.
Gitana followed Hedrak, Norde stalking beside both of them. Zordt brushed past all three, completely invisible and silent as a winter's morning. As the others crept forward, Norde blundered over an obstacle, catching himself on a nearby tree noisily. Hedrak stiffened beside you, he could see that there was in fact a greyskin, and that he had heard the noise. A moment later and Zordt materialized next to him, grabbing a strong hold from behind. The halforc was shocked by how light his foe was, it was incredibly easy to lift him. Light suddenly flooded the area as Norde and Gitana simultaneously revealed their stones.
The greyskin grabbed Zordt's hands and tried to break the Bard's grip, tried to spin around and face his opponent. His claws were sharp and colder than ice, but they were also weak. Zordt hung on.
Zordt lifted up the surprisingly un-dense greyskin and slammed it down into the snow, knee in the creature's back.