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"That's interesting. Confirms what I overheard. It sounds like they may have gotten themselves in with the wrong people. Looks don't matter but behaviors do. Skulking and being scared away when caught are signs of potential guilt about something. Shall we check on the bloomgivers and then follow up on this tiefling or some go one way and some go the other?" Gideon asks.
You all suddenly hear shouts coming from the other side of town.
The Bloomgivers return
Murmurs of alarm from the western end of Protectress Square soon become shrieks of shock. Two people stumble into the square-a young dark-haired man and a light-haired woman, half walking and half relying on the shoulders of friends. Winces of pain cross their bloodied faces.
Somewhere, someone shouts, "The Bloomgivers have been attacked' Someone get Aurelliax!"
Killiuk dashes towards the two people.
Who attacked you?
Then looks around, checking if somebody is actually going to look for a dragon to help this people.
The Kids are still on shock and don’t answer immediately.
The crowd around the Bloomgivers hushes and parts, and the mayor, the grey haired woman you overheard earlier, strides purposefully toward the injured youths. A grim look on her face, she reaches a hand lovingly toward the Bloomgivers.
Mayor Qarl addresses the crowd in a commanding voice. "Silence! Aurelliax left minutes ago due to an urgent matter. She did not trust me with the details."
She turns toward the Bloomgivers. "Kameer. Kara. Young ones, what has happened here?"
The Bloomgivers pause to catch their breath before answering. " We' re so sorry, Mayor Qarl ," Kara says.
"We were picking the brightblooms when those bullies set upon us. They took us completely by surprise, and they stole the Golden Pendant right from Kameer's neck! We barely got out with our lives!” Kameer nods. "It was Richelle and Tolwin! They're up on Dendra's Slope, and they've still got Aurelliax's amulet!”
At this news, several individuals, including the proprietors of the jubilee's events- emerge from the crowd.
The town's mayor visibly bristles with anger. The mayor then looks at Gideon with surprise, but does not comment at the moment.
"I've had enough of those two! Clearly we should have punished them more harshly!" she says. "We have to retrieve these misbehaving kids? We have to get Aurelliax's amulet back, and those two will get the justice they deserve in our stocks."
A man in the crowd shouts "We have to get Aurelliax to help!"
She the looks at the man ruefully. "These bullies are two of our own!"
The people in the crowd give a regretful nod.
"You all know the rules! I'm terribly sorry," Mayor Qarl continues, "but I'm afraid that Aurelliax can't directly help. You see, Aurelliax promised our forebears that she would never interfere in the town's interpersonal matters. She cannot turn her wrath against any of our town-not even if they might deserve it."
She turns to the crowd and especially Gideon and Killiuk who had positioned themselves during the gathering.
"Are there any among you who are willing to be heroes for Highdelve? Could you retrieve these bullies and Aurelliax's amulet? I assure you all that I will award those successful most generously!”
I am!
Killiuk takes a step forward and crosses his arms watching the others.
”Thank you, visitors! Please, travel up Dendra’s slope, directly west of town about 3 miles," the mayor says gently.
"It sounds like the bullies are still there. The brightbloom patch is just past an old abandoned shack-that's where you'll want to start looking."
”Find these wayward youths, and return them along with Aurelliax's amulet to the people. We'll bring back the brightblooms to the square, and Kameer and Kara here can hand them out as planned. We'll commence the Brightbloom Ball and put all of this unpleasantness behind us!"
Why do you say that they are bullies? Have they been behaving like this regularly?
The mayor seems to be agitated.
”They have been ungrateful brats for their whole lives … and the town has been suffering their worst behaviors for too long!“
Turning to the assembled townsfolk, the mayor asks "Do any of you have things you might loan to this group?"
Yarla, the female dwarf that you saw speaking to the mayor at the town square earlier, steps forward with a frown.
"I just so happen to have a crate of items in my inventory right now, bound for a bodyguard firm in Port Ice. I'm sure they wouldn't mind a little quality control testing on one or two … and they will not hurt the kids. They shouldn’t be hurt! They are part of our town."
Looking at you Pathfinders, she adds "I have some blunt arrows and weapons, too."
Thanks. I could use that weapon in case we need to reduce someone without hurting them, says Killiuk taking the sap.