*****
Your boat makes it back, a little extra time taken going against the current. It's midday now when it nudges up against the docks at Freetown. The city looks beautiful as ever.
Kobolds scramble to tie up the boat and cover up the treasure, taking it in small batches over to the Annabel.
Your sand dragon tumbles off the ship onto the dock, completely confused by the trip over the water. It accidentally knocks buckets and fishing poles over with its tail, some into the sea.
Atriox chuckles and pats him on the head
“Come on boy. It’s alright.”
Atriox heads for the Annabel to see everybody
It snuffles against your back and follows, curious where all the treasure is going.
On your approach you notice even more kobolds scrambling to come meet you. Darr stands on the edge of the Nightingale in shock, before rushing back into the belly of the ship.
You first meet up with Sheila who gets a grand laugh at the whole affair. The gnolls love seeing such a large city and take some time to go explore (and likely perform).
You hear a loud whistle of distressed excitement, knowing instantly that it's Vele.
You turn just in time to see her leap at you, healthier than she's been in weeks. She clings to your legs, beside herself.
"You ARE alive!! It is you, right?! W-we thought--" For someone usually so articulate with her words she's rather lost.
Atriox chuckles and pats Vele on the head.
“Yes, yes I’m alive. Of course it’s me. How are you ?”
"Confused! Happy! Worried, I..." she squeaks, backing off a little as she tries to compose herself. "Tak said I was to be put in charge, and..." She glances over her shoulder.
You look up and spot Tak frozen to the spot on the dock, several yards away. He looks as if he's seeing a ghost.
Atriox let’s out a long sigh. Almost to himself
“What to do about that mess....”
Tak takes a tentative step forward. He shakes his head, his face pale.
"Tak saw you! You-- you were dead! Tak saw Atriox's body! Tak thought-- would have never left you there if--" He seems sickened at the idea that he and the others left you so long, if you really lay there barely alive.
Vele steps back, quiet. She doesn't seem sure what to say.
Atriox looks at Vele again
“I assume he told you my verdict. I still expect it to be carried out. Until Tak has earned his place back I expect you to come up with a station for him and explain to me why he’s deserving of it. This is light compared to my initial plan. See it done Vele. And I’m very glad to see you.”
He rubs her head and walks on. Once at Tak he stops. He doesn’t say anything. He just puts his hand on Taks shoulder for a moment before boarding the ship
Vele gulps, nervous about the sudden heaviness as she watches you go. Tak stands stock still and blank faced. Their eyes meet and a worried question hangs in the air between them.
Now on the ship you're overwhelmed by people greeting you. While you were gone, the tone on the ships has changed dramatically. Most couldn't believe it was true. The discussion had turned to what should be done--was the journey moot? Should the others be taken to Arkoshia? Left in Komodori? They were still waiting on The Clover to return from Lamprey Bay... Word spread too fast considering the sources.
Kobolds brush past you from time to time carrying the unmarked cargo down into the hold. It's not long before they're finished, followed by the greedy sand dragon sniffing his way down the stairs. It's rather comical and awkward to watch, but he looks eager to guard this said treasure and have a nice rest atop it.
You find your room quiet and a sight for sore eyes. Such an adventure has taken a toll on your body and it cries out for sleep.
****
****Meanwhile****
Another splash of vomit hits the floor followed by a round of coughing.
"I don't know why you're bothering with this, Tanarukk... it's not going to work."
"It's worth a try. Anything for you."
"Screw you."
"Oh please do, I miss that."
Dorokor snarls and spits in Tanarukk's face. He just smiles and wipes it away slowly.
"I heard the bastard is alive."
Her eyes narrow. She can't help but hesitate a little before responding. "What do you mean?"
"You always acted so high and mighty but damn woman, you're stupid. That lizard. Didn't. Die. My men saw him coming back on a boat.
"Then he'll find you."
"You kidding me?" His grotesque smile widens.
"I WANT him to find me. I want him to suffer. Doing what he did to you. What he's doing... I want him to watch as I heal you completely."
He walks forward, roughly grabbing her. "And hen rip his disgusting little parasites out of your gut."
He roughly lets her go, the movement causing more holy water to trickle down over her. She grunts in pain, her eyes blazing. The hunger keeps fighting inside of her, wanting to heal, but she knows she can't give in to it. She already has too much.
"I'll be making some preparations... Get ready for a show, Bonebreaker."
As he leaves, her mask cracks slightly. The knowledge that Atriox was indeed alive was a blessing. Or a least... she hoped it wasn't a curse. She didn't need him dying for her sake.
****
As much as he wants to sleep for a whole week straight he decides he needs to fine Kora first. He needs to check up on her especially knowing her he can only imagine how news of his “death” has affected her
He heads back up to ask someone where she is
Everyone you ask seems unsure. Most people avoid her like the plague; her aura alone is intimidating enough that they don't dare ask her questions.
Tepid wanders by with some treasure and you do a double take. He....She, now seem to be heavy with an egg.
"The lady orc?" Tepid blinks, yawning. "Hmm, yes. She been in and out of town I think. Not seen her for a day or two. She staying here?"
Atriox blinks at Tepids change before replying
“Ummm.....thank you Tepid and no. No she’s not.”
Atriox gets a bad feeling. He hopes she hasn’t gone off and killed anyone like at the last port
Atriox looks back at Tepid
“Fetch Vele and Tak for me tell them to come to my room here on the ship. But tell them not to act weird tell them to seem happy.”
Atriox heads downstairs and looks for something that belongs to Kora. Anything that might have her sent
You head back to the room and look around. It still smells of the strange ointment from Oxious though it's mostly dried up.
Her serrated axe, Wound, is still leaning against the wall. You also rifle through some things in a small pack she brought along--few though they be. Everything has her scent.
You find some strange old books written in orcish, a tarnished flask, some sharpening stones, and an odd amulet with a turnkey. As your hand bumps against it a single, slow note registers in your ears.
A knock at the door interrupts your search, and you see Vele waiting there, hands clasped and head high as if ready for orders.
Tak hangs back behind her, dressed and ready. He finds a random spot on the floor and stares intently at it as if it is the most interesting thing in the world.
Vele clears her throat a little, her eyes darting around the room. "Tepid said you needed to see us, master?"
Atriox nods
“ Dorokor is missing. She’s waiter of killing people because she thought I was dead or worse. We need to find her. My gut says it’s worse so get 4 of your best scouts and two of your best fighters. Take them and get our new gnull friends and bring them to me. Again appear happy when you go into town to get the gnulls . I could be paranoid but I don’t care”
Atriox grabs her axe and holds it one hand while grabbing the most well used sharpening stone. His sword on his back
He heads back up to find Sheila and wait for the others
The two of them part to let you pass, looking at one another in silent conversation. Tak looks awkward, gesturing with his claws above his belly as if there's a baby. Vele's eyes grow wide and she looks back at Atriox with concern.
You don't have to wait long; Kobolds work fast after all. The gnolls scramble aboard, smiling and happy but with cautious eyes. Their pockets jangle full of gold, their show having been quite successful in this bustling port.
Vele stands with the others, Darr nearby her as the lead fighter. He has his weapons sharpened, bouncing on his heels and ready for action. The fighter beside him has shorn horns and a sling in hand, spinning it around. Tak stands behind them with three others, dressed lightly for scouting work. He keeps his eyes down, focused and listening.
Atriox looks at everybody seriously
“Thank you everybody for coming quickly. I appreciate it. Now Kora is missing. Nobody has seen her in some time and she wouldn’t just abandon her men. Could be nothing but my gut tells me it’s something. Irok I need your help whoever you trust in your family for a fight bring, the rest stay, but I need you to track a sent from this.”
He tosses him the stone he took from they’re room
“Now we are in unknown territory and we don’t know what happened. Unless your in combat keep a joyful attitude to throw off and suspicion or questions.”
Irok catches the rock effortlessly and takes a deep sniff from it. He passes it to his kids for them to smell as well.
Darr chimes in when appropriate. "What should we do if we find anything odd, sir?"
Atriox looks at him
“ Find me immediately. And I mean immediately. Do not engage without the rest of us. Is everyone clear on that ?”
The gnolls and kobolds nod. "Understood."
Sheila sits against the railing, observing the whole affair, contemplating.
With a signal from Vele the kobolds head out. Irok speaks quickly with his family before the kids depart, him following them shortly after.
Sheila stands and claps you on the shoulder. "I have a few things'a business ta take care of. But should any of the scallywags come back I'll send someone let ye know."
Atriox nods to the captain and hefts the axe
“I’ll be waiting.....”
Atriox follows after his squad
Your group heads across the docks, the scouts trying to act nonchalant as they check for anything strange.
Kiz forges ahead, sniffing about while her brothers search the shore.
The two of them return after a while, bounding across the sand. "We smelled her scent down by the boulders," one of them whines.
Kiz sniffs the boats, finding one that smells heavily of orcs. She sneezes. "This... Sort of smells like her. But only on the dock and the rope."
The kid gnolls got a 2 investigation rofl)
The other kobold scouts whisper among each other as Tak looks ahead, wandering the lower docks. (13) They eye a pair of orcs walking to town, laughing loudly as they go.
(Tak: 11) He handles something he found, but shrugs and discards it.
(Vele: 4) Vele squints in the sunlight, having trouble seeing too much. She's definitely better with her hands than with a weapon or as a scout, focusing on what the others are doing.
(Darr: 15) "Atriox?" Darr tilts his head, kicking at some ropes on the dock. They're damp as if they'd been soaked in something.
Vele and Irok come over. "It smells like orc..." he sniffs deeply. "And not salty."
Atriox gets a bad feeling in his gut and grunts out of habit
“I want to see something.....”
Atriox grabs the ropes....
Your eyes flash as an immediate, seering pain rushes up your arm.
Atriox growls and drops the ropes instantly
He holds his smoking his hand out
“That’s exactly what I was afraid of. Tell me which way does the trail of orcs lead?”
The two boys are on it immediately, following the musky odor. They run on all fours along the dock the rest of the troop following after.
The sun is sinking lower over the far mountains as you follow the trail. Kiz stands up and points, "It smells like the trail leads this way, toward the farms."
Atriox nods to her while talking to everyone
“Be on your guard. I suspect foul play at this point and I want everyone to be prepared. For anything.”
They nod in understanding, scanning the fields and dirt roads surrounding the area. The kobolds move like little raptors through the drying wheat, looking for good vantage points.
(Oof... Crap lol. Boy gnolls rolled 18 and nat 1 respectively for dex saves)
A claw-like trap is triggered in front of them and you hear a yelp of surprise. Gyzz leaps almost 6 feet in the air, the point of a javelin scraping against his armor. Gazz on the other hand...
SHULNK!
A piercing yelp catches the attention of the rest of you, Gazz pierced completely through the leg and pinned to the ground below him. He grips at it, scrambling in shock and trying to get away. (10 dmg, 12 hp remaining)
A battle cry roars as, from behind a ditch, six orcs with drawn swords rush out to engage you. They all look thrilled and vicious, white tusks stark as bone--definitely like the orcs you fought back in Dragonshore.
Atriox roars at the charging orcs and draws his sword so he’s dual wielding it with Koras axe
He charges right at two of them and catches there blades on his own two. While pushing back the orcs Atriox yells to Irok
“Take care of your little ones. We’ll hold them off.”
Once his attention has returned to the fight Atriox swings his weapons into action taking of one of the orcs legs immediately with the axe and imbedding his sword in the side of the other one.
Atriox see’s that while he was fighting a third orc charges at him but is sent straight to the ground as Atriox throws Koras axe into the middle of the orcs chest killing it. Atriox feels a tug on his sword and smiles. He looks back at the last one and yanks his sword free before stabbing it straight through the orcs belly. While the orc bleeds out Atriox begins to feed from its neck clamping down his mighty jaws and crushing flesh and bones
Tak and Darr both lead a charge from out of the wheat, the other kobolds close behind. The one with the sling lets off a volley of stones that whistle like birds. Striking the lead orc in the face it causes him to stumble, and the kobolds are on him in seconds.
Darr vaults off the first one with his weapon and brings it up and around to smack the next orc right in the neck. Not strong enough to bring it down in one blow, he scrambles below it and up and around, trying to use his speed to his advantage. The orc manages to grab him and gets his hand bitten, but not before Darr feels the crack of a few of his ribs.
Tak, enraged and finally just letting loose with all of his pent up emotions, frustration and anger, dives on the first felled orc as the others scramble about to bludgeon it. He viciously grabs the orc's face in his teeth, eyes wild. After a few mutilating seconds there's not much left; he's slung from the orc with the last of the beast's strength before it rushes, stumbles, and falls back down to the earth, a few kobold spears in his back.
Vele circles the field, watching as Kiz tries taking on the third orc coming for her brothers. She lunges with the broken glaive, slicing the orc's arm but barely managing to escape his own blade. Timing it as best she can, Vele winds up and chucks a fragile bottle at the back of the orc--a splash of acid and smoke bubbles out, scalding his back and making him howl in rage. His attention averted gives Kiz enough time to stab him in the gut, ramming him to the ground.
Irok and Rark both work with their son to pry the trap open and release Gazz. It takes all of their combined strength to do so and they barely pull him out before the trap slams back down. He cries out in pain, yelping and bleeding all over. Rark grabs him by the scruff and Irok quickly wraps the wound, stuffing it with any fabric and silk he has. The three of them try to carry him to safety, at least some distance away so he can be looked at closer.
Another group of orcs begins to approach, perhaps a dozen in all. They're armed and being lead by a rougher looking fellow in the front, his nose half gone and his tusks pierced through with a bar.
Atriox growls and puts his sword into the ground. With his free hand he takes out the pearl like object Vele retrieved....the one that can be used as an explosive....
Atriox chucks it as best as he can for the leader in the middle of the group hoping it takes out as many as he hopes....
(Well..... hmm........... All but like 3 of them failed the save for this sooooo)
The bead hits the ground.
BOOM!
There's a deafening explosion, then an implosion. The leader, along with all the men closest to him, are blasted with arcane energy (9 damage to each). The three orcs furthest away are blasted back away from the area, knocked clear across the ground by the force.
As the power sucks back in, all those that felt the brunt of the explosion are pulled together and slammed--enclosed now--in a large, spherical ball. As they push against it they trip and fall about, their movement causing it to roll. But with so many inside it makes it utterly impossible for them to do so.
The kobolds and gnolls stand back, stunned. Then the latter begin cackling and laughing at the spectacle. They all jump upon the remaining orcs, fighting the three tooth and nail. It doesn't take long for them to become overwhelmed and downed.
(There are 9 left in the orb, which disappears after 1 minute of time--no attacks can go in or out of it, and it weighs 1 lb)
Atriox smiles a little with grim pleasures. He yells to everyone
“Surround them ! Once the orbs affects wear off hit them with everything you got !”
The nine remaining orcs see what you're doing and prepare themselves, licking their blades and growling with evil smiles. The kobolds and gnolls are utterly dwarfed by them and under normal circumstances would be terrified--but with your support they stand their ground.
The orb's magic shimmers... and disappears.
The orcs let out a battle cry as they fall upon your troops, the leader headed right for you, Atriox.
The 8 others are swarmed upon by the kobolds, rocks from slings and spears finding their marks between armor. But they aren't fully unprepared; swords crash down on turtleshell shields and bucklers, snapping spears in half and crushing back their opponents.
The lead stone slinger from the docks finds a mark with one of his rocks, cracking a orc in the skull hard enough that it fells him--landing on the sword of uncle Rark. But only just... before the kobold's run clear through by another orc. The orc growls and flings him off of his sword, slamming the lizardling's crumpled body into Darr.
Tak watches, enraged, and lunges onto the back of the orc--clawing at his face and tearing at his eyes. Partially blinding him, the orc grabs him by the arm and swings him down into the ground--SNAP!
Vele dodges between a few orcs with nothing more than a vial of acid and a small dagger, Kiz coming to her rescue. The gnoll slices right at the throat of one, blood gushing out and felling it within seconds. The kobold hears Tak's cry and rushes forward, flinging her weapon.
The leader brings around his weapons, a pair of curved, serrated blades, straight for your chest. (using raw rolls for this, 4--misses)
Atriox easily blocks away the attack with Koras axe and then brings both weapons down from either side on the orcs neck
The weapons connect, cracking the orc's armor and digging into his flesh. He roars in pain, blood seeping out everywhere. To free himself he headbutts Atriox in the face as hard as he can. (14)
Atriox stumbles backwards from the force but quickly recovers with a slight nose bleed, his eyes glowing red
Apparently the orc has a thick neck so Atriox goes back to work on it. He throws his sword at the orcs leg
(18)
Then takes Koras axe and both hands and full on lumberjack chops at one of the cuts in the orcs neck
Kora's axe practically grows red as--SWOOSH--it takes the orc's head clean off. The weapon soaks up the blood on the metal you hear the head thump to the ground as the rest of the twitching body follows.
The roar of Tanarukk can be heard over the din of battle. Looking up you see him in front of the building, a massive orc with muscular tattooed arms and a serrated sword in hand. In his other is an old battered oil lantern. His grin is that of a pure sociopath.
"Worm who DARES call himself a leader over these bilge rats and mongrels!" He shouts, his voice harsh and unforgiving. He grins wider. "You took something precious from me... And I took it BACK!"
He holds his head up, the door to the old farmhouse hanging by one hinge beside him. "Let's speed things up, shall we?" With a well-aimed throw, Tanarukk chucks the lantern into the dry wheat where it explodes in a ferocious ball of fire.
The few remaining orcs cackle as the kobolds yip and scramble from the flames, growling and hissing as they try to hold their ground.
As he steps back inside, these are the last words you hear shouted at you:
"I'll be waiting for you, you bastard."
Atriox growls his eyes glowing like red beacons but he restrains himself. He can’t make any mistakes here.....
He yells at everyone
“Get all sounded back to the ship ! Vele go back and get Gorog. Tell him to come with 10 of his men quickly ! And stay at the ship yourself you’ve risked enough. Go.”
Vele, jumps off the back of the orc she was standing on, acid dripping down his body with a knife in his neck. She looks a little shell shocked but reacts as quickly as possible. She tries to help Tak up off the ground but he grunts and shrugs her off in his rage, gripping his fractured arm.
She lets out a loud whistle, giving Tak a stern word or two in draconic before leading him and the others back. The gnolls keep the last few orcs hanging back; only two of them are still standing from the original 12, and another 3 are on the ground injured.
The orcs back off, hovering around you, Atriox. They cackle, and you watch Kiz and Irok waiting nervously on the edge of the hill. Out of the 8 kobolds you brought, only 5 escaped with their lives.
Atriox grunts
“Irok, Kiz pull back to safety. These savages are almost out of time. If they’re smart they will run.”
The orcs hesitate just slightly, the threat rather intimidating to say the least.The gnolls do as bidded and retreat out of sight. A chorus of howls echoes in the air, something different this time; a war chant that electrifies your soul.
(You gain a temporary buff, your first successful attack in battle will hit for 2x damage)
Atriox walks forward and yanks his sword free of the headless corpse on the ground. He rests it over his shoulder and just smirks at the three orcs
They sneer and step back out of the way. You approach the house... There is a smell of decay lingering in the air. You spot a wheelbarrow out back with the bodies of a farmer and three farm hands.
One of the two orcs stands watching Atriox while the other gets the other three back on their feet. The smell of burning wheat chokes the air, but you know reinforcements should be there very soon.
"Aren't you a fiesty one... No wonder the Bonebreaker liked you." He circles around you, taking you in. His skin is blistered and scarred, making his grin worse.
Atriox glares at the orc
“That is none of your business and I suggest you don’t test me. I’m already being nice by not killing you outright.”
Atriox gets an idea suddenly and gets a mischievous grin. He flexes and spins his weapons in his hands
“In fact I’m being so nice you should tell me who that orc in charge is and what he has planned. Any more traps ? What’s his plan for Bonebreaker ?”
"Planned?"
The scarred orc sneers, but there is definite confusion in his eyes.
"Plans on getting rid of her vampire shit. Savin' her, like. You follow? Tanarukk is smart like that."
Watching the dragonborn spin his blades, the orc backs up a step.
"A-and traps...? Psh... Same way we caught her, heh. She's strong though."
He takes another step back, readying his weapon nervously. "That's why he dealin' with you. Boss is keen on gettin' some fresh new orc blood in the clan... If you know what I mean."
He gets a very evil look in his eyes and you think you understand what that insinuates.
At that moment you hear a bellow from the hill, and the orc turns to look, growling.
Your troops have arrived, Gogrog in the lead with ten fully armed orcs behind him. They rush down toward the remaining enemies, who hesitate but stand their ground.
Atriox points his sword at the orc who was talking
“You can join or die. I truthfully don’t care which. So decide now."
The orc licks his lips, thinking. He definitely has self preservation but...
"I follow the strongest." He swallows, glancing down at the sword point.
Atriox shrugs nonchalantly
“Then stand down and back off and we will see who that is.”
Atriox looks over his shoulder
“Gogrog ! Come here”
Gogrog grunts, his sword at the throat of one of the others. He headbutts him, knocking the villian out.
He approaches Atriox, his men seconds from dispatching the others or sparing them.
"Yes, sir?"
Atriox nods torwards the house
“Tell me about this.....Tanarukk. What’s he like ? If I say light the house on fire would he get himself and kora out of there or die due to stubbornness?”
The orc looks surprised at that. He licks his lips.
"I can see him doing either.... He might drag the whore out, or blame you for her death."
You can tell he's unsure, that Kora would likely be dragged out with him if the house caught fire--this guy seems to want her alive, despite what he's doing.
Atriox thinks on it for a minute before he looks back at Gorog
“Have your men surround the house with a bit of birth. Don’t want them getting burnt to.”
As they hop to Atriox approaches the front of the house. He opens the front door and yells
“Knock knock slime !”
Before he opens his mouth and releases a inferno with a roar to match it. He try’s to leave a path to the door before backing up and watching the flames and to see what happens
Tying up the orcs that are left, your men hurry over and surround the house as you instruct. The inside of the main room is a complete mess of bottles, glass, blood splatter and other scraps, with piles of blankets and shredded material used as bedding--and with the lingering alcoholic smell in the air, quite flammable.
From the level below you hear a dark cackle and a muffled cry. It's not long before Tanarukk walks out, barely minding the flames licking at his armor and skin. In one hand he holds a nasty looking sword, the hilt decorated with skulls and skin, along with a fizzling wand. In the other he easily carries a suspended Dorokor, shackled by her wrists and held with her feet off the ground.
On a hook outside the door he slings the chains of Kora's wrists, causing her to wince and shake as she hangs there off the ground; the flames from the fire still barely contained inside the house.
She seems semi-conscious both from pain and intense hunger, eyes a deep, pulsing crimson red. You remember how she looked when she was lost in her frenzy recently, and by the heavy sweat on her brow and the palor of her face--you can only assume she is close to doing so again.
"About time, maggot!" He sneers, his blackened teeth smiling without any mirth.
The orcs surrounding the house, including Gogrog--who you distinctly recall not having the greatest love for Dorokor himself--look surprised and disgusted. They itch to move, their weapons in their hands ready to bear down and end this.
The only thing keeping them from moving is Atriox's signal and how dangerously close Tanarukk is standing to the captive. They keep glancing to the prince, waiting to spring.
Atriox holds his hand up to them so they know to wait.
“I’m sorry I kept you waiting so long. I got your invitation clear enough though. So how do you want to do this ? I’m guessing single combat.”
Tanarukk sneers. "That sounds pleasing. However..."
He pulls an arm back, slamming it right below Dorokor's ribs. She gasps and wretches dryly, lost in her mind. "Why do I want you dead before I show you how purging a vampire works? Look, she's keeping down her holy meal just fine now, I think it's beginning to work."
Atriox wants to rip the bastard limb from limb but he keeps his cool.....barely
He puts on a cocky grin putting his weapons on his shoulders
“Even if it does work. So what ? You won’t kill her. I get the feeling that I’m your own slush of a brain your in love with bonebreaker. Once your dead I will just turn her back. We both know your anger is really with me. A fight doesn’t have to be to the death.........”
Atriox remembers what the other orc said and his smile widens
“Once I’m captured you’ll get the glory, the honor, the money, the girl, and all the other orcs will gladly follow you without a doubt. Isn’t that what you want ? I’m right here.”
Atriox spreads his arms wide open in the way of invitation
"Oh my, it's like a kindred spirit. How you seem to know me so well..." His voice is cold and mocking, the smile still not leaving his face as he points his weapon at Atriox.
You feel a pressure surround your brain and your body. A tingling, burning, uncomfortable sensation in your muscles causing them to seize up.
Dorokor's body twitches as she pulls at her chains. The heat from inside bursts the windows and she roars, her muscles tightening unnaturally. She struggles, furious, losing to the monster. The frenzy.
Your eyes grow red and tinge with black shadows. Despite the magic being used against you, your body seems resilient against it. Slowly, steadily, you push against the arcane energy and stand, a furious storm against this tyrant.
Tanarukk growls in anger and confusion, not expecting you to counter that spell. Even Dorokor couldn't. He discards the smoldering wand and charges at you with his sword drawn.
Atriox knows a challenge when he see’s one and intends to stay ahead in the game. He extends his hand and challenges the orc with his own magic, casting a eldtrich blast at him.
While the savage is distract Atriox drops his sword and quickly cuts his hand on Koras axe. He lets blood drip all over it for a a few seconds befor throwing it at Koras chains keeping her hanging
“Drink ! Quickly !”
Atriox picks up his sword and tackles his opponent as further distraction
The axe flies true and slams right into the chains holding her up by her manacles. Kora drops immediately to the ground in a shower of splinters and metal, coughing and retching again.
Gogrog runs up to try to help her but in her haze she grabs him, trying to bite down. He cries out in shock as her tusks dig into him, but she practically cries at the lack of nourishment--all her fangs painfully removed. She slams him back out of the way as she grabs for the tantalizing blood dripping from her axe.
Though Wound soaked up some of it, there was enough there that she rips it from the wall and licks it clean, savoring it like mana from the heavens. A faint sense of her humanity returns to help her fight the frenzy. Breathing deep, she holds her aching gut and stares with venomous intent at Tanarukk.
The blast of dark power that struck him in the chest sizzles across his armor as he stands back up, staring enraged at Atriox. "YOU'RE RUINING EVERYTHING! YOU WORM!"
Atriox let’s loose a smile and bows
“That’s what I do !”
Before the Orc can do anything Atriox uses his speed to stab his sword into the dumb green apes leg
With the sword still in the orcs leg Atriox claws the Mongrels face
The sword pierces deep into the flesh, slicing both tendon and bone. He roars as he trips over himself, about to stab you again before your claws hit him. They dig deep gashes, shredding his flesh.
Struggling back he tries to strike again, his sword coming around to slice Atriox in the ribs.
Dorokor stalks forward, stumbling slightly as she makes her way to you both. She grips her axe in both hands, breathing heavily. Her eyes are thick with fury and bloodlust.
With a swing she winds up and slams Wound into the orc's back, breaking it against his chainmail. It cuts into him and she growls in pain, anger, and disgust at everything that's happened; her fight against the frenzy is palpable, everyone around her a haze of shadow.
Atriox walk forward not overly cautious. The brute is beaten. Clearly. Atriox whistles to his men
“Form up. Hold him down !”
Atriox punches his target and removes his sword which he then slides open the orcs arm and points to Kora
“Drink. But don’t kill. If you want revenge as badly as I do use all your restraint to spare him. Death is to much of a mercy for him”
He yells in fury at the pain of the sword as the other orcs bear down around him. Insanity is etched on his face as he tries once more to strike at you in vain. Your wound drips dark red, hard to see against the crimson fabric the gnolls found for you.
Dorokor breathes heavily, sinking to one knee and wrenching the arm toward her. With a resounding CRACK you hear it break in her grip. Her tusks are around it in an instant, but without fangs it's a messy affair.
Tanarukk struggles and thrashes about. As much as he pales, his energy doesn't seem to leave him completely... but you fear it could. The other orcs glance between Dorokor and Atriox.
Atriox grunts not fully surprised at her behavior. She’s likely been tortured and this time it’s not her fault.
He raises his sword and slams the butt of it on the back of her head after he thinks she’s had enough
Dorokor jolts from the hit, her eyes growing fuzzy. For a fraction of a moment there's a look on her face; realization when she sees Atriox above her. Then she collapses to the ground unconscious.
The others watch in silence. The only remaining sound is the struggling orc and the crackling of the fires.
Atriox straps his sword on his back and picks up Kora gently. He looks to Gorog
“Clean this up. Keep him alive at all costs and get him to the ship. The rest give an option. I don’t care what the outcome is. Also please bring me Koras axe. I have my hands full.”
Atriox turns and heads back to the ship
You make your way back to the Annabel Lee. Quite a few people stare as you pass; a regal-looking Dragonborn and an unconscious orc covered in blood make for quite a sight.
You step on deck just as a fire brigade heads out to the burning farmland. Having enough time to do so, you make your way below deck to handle Kora. The room is fixed and cleaned and you can only suspect it's Dahlia's doing.
Up above you hear the telltale sounds of boots on deck; the sounds of the rest of your men dragging the horrid criminal aboard. Kobolds and orcs peek around from down below, looking nervously up and chattering to one another.
Atriox lays Kora down on the bed as gently he can. He’s worried about her and they’re unborn child but there’s more pressing matters in this instant.
He leaves her with one last look to go check how it’s going with the prisoner
Dahlia bumps into Atriox outside, hesitating near the door. She was as quiet as a mouse, but definitely diligent in checking on you both.
"I can... help clean her up? If that's alright? I'd rather not be present for whatever happens on deck." She gives Atriox a shy smile and a shrug, as if she knows what's going to happen..... won't be good.
Atriox nods to her
“Thank you Dahlia. Anything you can do for her is greatly appreciated. I will handle this ugly business.”
He pats her affectionately on the the side of the arm before continuing up top
You emerge on deck, your side aching a little from the stinging wound but not enough to stop you. Gogrog hands you the axe Wound as you approach, gesturing to the captive; the other orcs have him bound and gagged, slumped on his side against the foot of the mast.
He looks exhausted and beat, perhaps a little more from them even since you left him... but there is a fury still remaining in his eyes.
You notice there are no other orcs with them, the remaining followers of Tanarukk having fled or died by the hands of your men.
Atriox looks at him with a raw fury of his own. The fake smugness from earlier gone.
“You know I was going to do something that hurt you a lot right now but after what you’ve done to kora and the killing of my men. My family. That’s to easy. No. You will live years from now to regret this day.”
Atriox points to higher up on the mast
“Tie him up properly so his whole body can’t move. A good ways up the mast boys. He can spend the rest of this trip in contemplation.”
His eyes burn as the men grab him, thrashing and kicking the entire time. He's making it none too easy for them to accomplish their work, but after several minutes they have him as you've instructed:
Tanarukk is now gagged and tied to the mast, a few feet off the ground so he has no purchase. The ropes are tightened aggressively giving him little room to move, let alone breathe. The orcs discuss in quiet tones how to handle him regarding food and relieving himself, the specifics of which ignoring any and all comfort to the captive. They're all equally furious, but likely none so much as you.
Atriox growls and strides away. As he does he thrust Koras axe above his head as he walks
“Good work men !”
Atriox works his way back to his room
The orcs give a war shout in unison, glad to serve you in dealing out some of this harsher justice. You arrive back in your room. Dahlia is just finishing up with Dorokor and she smiles sadly up at you. The chieftess is breathing faintly but steadily, the blood and bile cleaned from her body.
"I did my best to wash her... poor thing." The red dragonborn sets a washcloth back in a bowl that she carried in. There are bruises all up the orc's torso and neck, strange to see considering how quickly she can usually heal herself. Dahlia also managed to lock pick the shackles off. Dorokor's wrists are marred with gashes from hanging and fighting against the rough metal.
Dahlia just shakes her head. "I've left a salve to help with the injuries..." She eyes your own wounds but makes no word against it, knowing where your concern lies. "It's something more natural than... well, whatever he was trying to give her."
Atriox merely looks sadly over kora and mutters
“Holy water. He thought he could cure her.”
Dahlia processes that for a moment, realizing the implications holy water could have on someone afflicted with a blood curse. She puts a hand to her mouth, nervously glancing at the orc, but refrains from speaking anything worrying.
"I'll gladly uh... leave a drink for her by the door, if you'd like? You as well unless you already ate?" She tilts her head with sincerity. The engagement the other night is still in her mind but there is no hint of coy flirting here. Just honesty and concern.
Atriox grunts
“I appreciate it but I’ll survive a day or two. Please do what you can for her. For now. Whatever is convenient for you.”
She nods. "I have some ideas." Standing, she places a gentle kiss atop your head for encouragement. "It will be alright, Atriox. She's definitely on the mend. You get some rest too, alright?"
Atriox sighs and sits on the floor up against the wall with Koras axe across his lap. Eventually he does fall asleep
**
Some time later a light knock at the door catches your attention. At the noise, Dorokor jolts awake as if expecting a struggle, restraints and a fight. But her body just twinges in discomfort and she falls back to the bed, panting with adrenaline. A string of curses escapes her lips as she tries to regain her bearings. Her eyes finally landing on Atriox.
She stills. Her gaze drops as she searches for the right words. "I... uh... welcome back I guess." Kora sniffs to clear her nose, grimacing through the pain. "I thought you might be..."
She trails off, her eyes now averted trying to hide her relief. "...Glad you weren't as dead as they said."
Atriox gets a smile out of the whole thing
“I could say the same for you Bonebreaker.”
Atriox clears his throat
“Come in”
She snorts, turning her head to face the wall. No one enters but you hear a shuffling of feet leave the door.
You crack it open and see a small crate full of bottles--different sizes and shapes, some recently emptied of their liquor contents. They are all now stoppered and full of blood. It's mouth-watering. You've never seen so many at once, and have no idea how Dahlia was able to procure so much.
Atriox picks it all up and goes back into the room showing Kora
“It seems a feast has been prepared for us. All be it a lazy feast with no hunting.”
Her eyes shine with hunger, desire and humiliation. "I can't hunt right now anyways... not properly. But that was kind."
She forces herself to sit up and take a bottle, unstoppering it and taking a long pull. Kora's hard exterior cracks just a little. You can see her fighting to hide the emotion welling up in her eyes.
"Thanks for helping find me... I'm sorry that I ran before." Her voice drops. ""It was just... a lot to take in."
Atriox shrugs
“You have nothing to apologize for. I am........grateful that I got you in time. I hope he......didn’t do anything permanent.”
Atriox beats around the bush not wanting to upset her he takes a bottle himself and goes back to his spot on the floor and sits down to drink
She licks her lips, a wave of relief passing over her. "Yes, I share in that sentiment. He was always a clever bastard but I never considered...." She shivers and takes another pull from the bottle.
Looking at it, she smirks. "I always wondered what her blood tasted like. It's like yours... but mixed with human. Figures."
Yours tastes somewhat like Kora's and also the fellow you drained earlier--you imagine it being orcish blood, but definitely more sober and healthy than the last guy was. Now that you glance through the bottles there is a faint smell about all of them; human, kobold and orc alike.
Her smile fades a little as she glances back at you.
"I frenzied again, didn't I?"
She rubs her sore stomach, contemplative.
Atriox shrugs and givers a reassuring smile
“Barely and under the circumstances I don’t blame you. Nobody was killed and the only one hurt was that bastard.”
"Hm." She turns away again, thinking.
"Is he dead now?"
Atriox shakes his head
“No. Not yet. And by the time he is.....he’ll have wished he died on that field outside dragonshore
You see Kora's face twitch in slight satisfaction.
"Good."
She takes another bottle to drink. You can tell she's regaining a bit of her strength.
"I was foolish and let my guard down. Mistakes like that are deadly." Dorokor glances at Atriox. "Especially for vampires."
Atriox stands grabs another bottle for himself
As he uncorks it he says
“Good to know”
He chugs the whole thing
The tang of the bottle is stark and concentrated. It makes you cough a little.
"I was too....concerned," she grumbles, "about some idiot getting himself killed."
When you look at Dorokor again she's avoiding your eyes. You can tell she's angry and confused, something completely seperate from her recent experience.
Atriox nods guiltily
“I’m sorry about that. Things did not go as expected, obviously. I’m just glad I got to you in time....”
Atriox sighs heavily
“Did.....did he hurt the baby ?”
Dorokor hesitates.
"I... I don't know."
She awkwardly touches her stomach, wincing at the bruises. "He definitely wanted it gone, one way or another."
Kora is silent. Thinking. When she speaks it is in a quiet voice. "You really don't mind the idea, then? Offspring? With..."
Atriox stares off into space for a moment considering her question. He finally answers
“Of course I want children. Family is everything. Now I can not make this child my heir. I’ll just be honest about that now. But that doesn’t mean I won’t accept them. That I can’t provide an amazing future for them.”
He sighs and runs a hand down the back of his neck
“What about you ?”
"Me..."
She cups a hand over her mouth as she thinks. Her eyes regain a chocolatey velvet color before fading back to a pale red.
"Family is everything, you say."
Kora sighs, grabbing another bottle. You see her concentrate on her injuries, trying to heal. Using the blood to fuel her recovery. She takes another swig. It will be a slow process.
"Clans I can deal with. There is age, death, war, sacrifice. It grows and shrinks and grows again. But family? That's much more... finite."
She shakes her head. "I haven't considered... Family... For decades. A century. I dealt with that once. But since? It wasn't feasible nor was it wanted."
She glances over, confused, angry and tired. "Not much scares me, Atriox. But this... This did."
Atriox chuckles and looks at her
“Do you think I don’t know that ? Do you think I don’t feel the same ? But what if this child is actually what you’ve been searching for. Someone that fully accepts you for who you are and loves you without a doubt. That’s true power."
She stares at you for a long moment, contemplating your words. You see a little of that defense of hers chip away.
"Yeah... Yeah I suppose that's true."
She sets the half-finished bottle down with a sigh.
She winces in pain, rubbing her side.
"Something is... Different. I don't know what affect that had but... there is movement. I think it's ok."
Atriox nods
“Good. Good, your only job is to rest and regain your strength. I’m going to get us underway. I’ll be back.”
Saturday, January 18, 2020
Treasures of Freetown - Sand Dragons and Old Friends - Part 3
You spend the rest of the morning traveling beneath the harsh sun back towards the mountains where you fell. Irok leads the carts down a ways further, weaving through some shallow canyons cut into the desert stone.
"We've been here a few times, but always hearin' noises coming from further in. This is where we found the coins before, though we're certain there's more."
(Make an investigation check for me :) )
(First roll of the day literally a Nat 20)
You glance around at the canyon walls, your sharpened senses taking in all the details. You notice old carvings, faded away from centuries of wind and sun. Kicking your feet through the sand on the ground you hear a clink. Picking up what you kicked, you find another faded coin that matches Irok's.
You see cracks along the walls to your left. They appear to whistle as if a wind is blowing through them. An entrance is apparently further ahead, but... you can't help but think these also connect to some inner caverns.
Atriox approaches what he thinks is a side passage in and feels it with one of his hands. After a more careful examination he whistles to the rest
“I think I found something.....a second way in.”
Rark and Kiz come over to look at the wall with you. They examine what you've found in detail and Kiz smiles.
"This could work in our favor... what's your idea?"
Atriox thinks on it still feel the wall
“With our combined weight together we might be able to break some of this away.”
The others look at each other and laugh. "Sounds good!" They rush up, as small as they are, and wait for your signal.
(With advantage got 24 strength)
With your superior size and strength, both natural and supernatural, you head the assault on the wall with your companions. Claws dig into the fractured rock and sandstone, and with a strong slam from all of you at once a part of the wall gives way.
The crumbing pieces shower over the small gnolls around you. Gyzz and Gazz cackle with elation. The hole is now big enough for them, but a tight squeeze for you.
(Nat 19 acrobatics )
You exhale deeply, forcing your body through as best you can. It's horridly tight but at least smooth. The gnolls see your attempt and try to help, pushing and tugging a you to get you through the rest of the way.
Finally you land on the other side, stumbling into the darkness as your eyes adjust. Your feet clink on small coins littering the tunnel you're in.
It seems like something or someone tried moving the treasure here... perhaps multiple times...
Kiz, Gyz, Gazz, Irok and Rark follow leaving the mother, pup and grandfather to watch the wagons.
Irok comes up beside you, tugging on your arm. "Listen, you can hear the sounds of the beasts deeper in."
The more you try to focus, the more sound you hear. It's very echoy in these chambers, like a spiderweb of tunnels where sound reverberates every which way. The breathing of some creature, or creatures, is distinct. Almost like snores; draconic, loud and grizzly.
Atriox looks at them all
“ if it indeed is some sort of dragon kind the first option is not to fight it you hear me ? The first thing to do is access the situation and then I’ll talk to it. Now let’s do this “
They look at each other, finding the thought ridiculous but keeping it to themselves. The boys look ready to laugh but the sister growls low to shut them up.
Rark nods. "Understood. We're right behind you."
You make your way down the primary tunnel, following the sounds as best you can. It's difficult with the echoing.
(Make a check of your choice to try to navigate the tunnels, and feel free to explain why xD I wanna leave this skill challenge up to your creativity)
(You need to succeed at 3 out of 5 checks to find the right "exit".... each skill check you use needs to be a different skill)
Atriox looks around examining all the different tunnels to see which one has been used the most by the creature within
(Investigation 17
(success 1)
Although each tunnel shows scratches and gouges from strange draconic claws, a smaller tunnel off to the left looks freshest. The dusty sand hasn't settled into the cracks as well, and you lead the gnolls in that direction.
(Next skill of your choice!)
Atriox bends down low in the tunnel using his knowledge of dragon kind to find any clues and which way the beasts home is
(Insight 14+3)
(Success 2!)
You figure the creature you're hunting is close to the treasure, as dragons tend to be. Coins continue to litter the floor. The sounds still come from every direction, like a multitude of enemies surrounding you. The gnolls are definitely jumpy, hands on their weapons and trying to keep to their word to not attack.
It feels warmer further in. That also seems likely for these sorts of beings you're hunting... You press onward, straight down the next tunnel.
(Next skill of your choice)
Atriox uses all his senses to his advantage to continue guiding the way
(Perception raw 19)
(3 in a row... you win xD)
You sense movement in the darkness ahead of you. A clanking, clinking noise as coins are jostled along the floor. A scraping of claws and a large tail.
Gazz can't help but let out a small whine in terror. He can sense it too and backs away slightly, tripping into his brother.
Atriox growls lowly
“Steady yourselves. Fear will not help you. Stay calm, stay in control, and you’ll see the end of this “
(14 persuasion)
Atriox forges onward
You step forward and suddenly the movement stops. All is quiet. Dark. You see a room full of treasure--strange artifacts, coins and material littered about. It's not as large as Tyranus' hoard, but it is still sizable and ancient.
A growling comes from the corner. Eyes light up the room.
(Make a Dexterity Save for me XD)
(14)
A massive shape leaps from the darkness, slamming you to the floor. All the wind is knocked from your stomach, your bones and muscles aching horridly after the trouble you've been having the last several days. This did not help at all.
Looking up you see the gaping maw of a rather sizable draconian like beast. Made of rough rock-like armor and plates, it had no wings but instead short, powerful limbs. It's stomach glows blue in the darkness, contrasting the sandstone color of its back and head. Beady eyes watch you hungrily, looking a little confused that you yourself are dragon-like.
Atriox growls a lift bit at the pain and the being on top of him. He switches to Draconic even though the gnulls won’t understand him
“Stop......Stop. We wish you no harm and would rather not fight.”
The felldrake lifts its head, mouth closing. It stares down in curiosity at you with a low, jittering gurgle. Then it looks over at the gnolls. Its mouth opens again in hunger. A thick saliva drips from its teeth. There is no attempt to respond back, but you get the feeling it understood you.
Atriox nods and continues in draconic
“I know you understand me. I was truthfully not expecting to find any of my brethren here. Spose I should have know better. How about you calm down and let me up eh ?”
(Roll.... animal handling check for me)
(16)
It whines slightly chomping its jaws. Backing off of you, you can finally breathe. The sand dragon winds its way around the room again, sniffing and growling, burrowing its face in the piles of coin as it goes.
Atriox gets up and stretches his sore body. Afterwards he motions for the gnulls to back up for a bit and leave it to him
Atriox approaches the dragon slowly and calmly before bending on one knee and continues to try and calm it
“Hello there. Your a magnificent specimen of dragon kind. Are you all alone down here ?”
Its head pops up from metal, sniffing and snorting in a pleased manner. Chomping its teeth again it merely looks around. There is certainly no one else here, but the echoes of is movement bounce from wall to wall like a dozen others.
Head to tail its likely at least ten feet in length, but without rearing back it only stands three to four feet from the ground. Compared to the gnolls he'd be a massive opponent, but to you...
Atriox smiles at the beast as it it acts somewhat silly. He grunts some steam and then pats the ground in front of him
“Say how about you come over here and I throw a proposition your way ? You like treasure ? Well I got more where this game from.”
It snorts, sniffing its way over to you as if smelling for treasure on your person. It looks interested for sure. The gnolls peek in from the entryway, completely intrigued by what you're doing.
Atriox chuckles a little and holds his hand up slowly
“I won’t hurt you. I swear it on our shared blood.”
Hoping it believes him he begins to scratch it behind its ears an under its head gently
“I have a lot of treasure of my own. And me friends came here for this treasure as well. Now seeing as you were her first I don’t just want to take it so how about this. We let them take a little of it for there trouble and the rest here we’ll add to my horde. You like treasure don’t you ? We’ll if you come with me you’ll have plenty of it to bury your head in and sleep on. How’s that sound ? Plus you won’t be alone anymore.”
You look around and see that, despite the piles of coppers and silvers lining the corners, there is an abundance of items. Old tapestries, strange scroll cases, boxes of strange figurines... It was definitely the remains of an old civilization, all gathered here by this little monster.
The little dragon snuffs your hand, pushing its face into it. Almost bowling you over, but in a friendly way. It seems to like the idea.
The gnolls don't seem to argue much with what you're doing, seeing as you've somehow magically tamed the beast they thought they'd have to fight tooth and nail with.
Atriox scratches it some more with a happy smile
“Alright then you’re coming with me ! But no eating anybody.....yet. Now I have to go speak with those fur balls over there. Get ready to leave.....in whatever way you do that.”
Atriox awkwardly gets up and heads over to the gnulls to talk
They laugh and jump on you as you approach, like a gladiator after a fight.
"That was amazing!"
"So it's going to leave?"
"Now what?"
"Is there an easier way out?"
Atriox snickers at there excitement and questions
“ Yes it’s leaving.....with me. I’ve talked it into coming along on my journey. Now friends it’s time we haggle our terms of the treasure. Now I’m not gonna bullshit you. I know from my short time with you that you all value honesty.Seeing as I’m the one who guided you in here and talked this out without a fight I’ll be taking the biggest share. I’m willing to give you guys 15% of the Gold. Once I’ve arranged the items I may gift you some of the items through out this horde.”
Atriox holds up his hand to stem any comment
“I’m not done. I have an offer for you all as well. How attached are you to the Komodori ? Would you ever leave ?”
Each of them has a different mix of looks on their faces about the share of the cuts. But at the second question they glance at one another with uncertainty.
"It's what we know. Never been anywhere else." Irok cautiously speaks up for the others, used to being their voice. "Why do you ask?"
Atriox looks at him directly
“Because you and your family showed me kindness that’s why. You saved me. I don’t care your specific reasons for doing it. You seem like honorable warriors who live to hard day to day. I am offering you the same chance I offer many. Come with me, live more fulfilling lives. There’s opportunity for all of you.”
Surprise is evident on his face. The brothers whisper excitedly to one another. Rark looks skeptical but Irok shrugs.
"I can... Speak with my mate when we meet with her again? It is true these lands have become more dangerous..."
"But familiar. We know how to manage." His brother mutters.
Kiz glances between them. "Why not? We could return later if we choose. Couldn't we?"
Irok laughs. "Let me consider your kind offer. It's... Difficult to pass up. What is this Arkoshia like?"
Atriox nods
“ fair enough. And my homeland is definitely more temperate than this but my mountain kingdom can accommodate just about anyone I believe. And if you think this is a lot of gold my friends you haven’t seen anything.”
The boys gicker under their breaths with excitement.
"I see..." Irok chuckles, scratching his neck again. "You're a funny fellow. I'm glad we didn't eat you."
Chewing on his tongue, he thinks for a minute longer. "Well......... I suppose we would be stupid not to accept." He reaches up to shake your hand with his paw and a snaggletoothed smirk.
"You are very kind, Atriox."
Atriox chuckles while shaking his hand
“What happened to asking your mate ?”
Kiz cackles very unlady-like.
"If ma found out he'd hesitated on an offer like that, she'd skin him."
Irok snorts and shrugs in agreement.
Atriox just simply laughs throwing his head back
****
****Meanwhile...****
"Idiot...!"
Bonebreaker Dorokor stomps across the ship deck practically leaping from the railing. The sun burns her eyes and makes her skin crack but she could care less.
A sailor who saw her land from such a height rushes over to see if she's alright. With a swift shove, she knocks him out of her way right into the water.
"All idiots..."
She scans the docks and the coastline... Looking for a ship, a boat, whatever she can find that would get her to the mainland.
She'd almost taken Tak up on his offer as a meal... Except she didn't want to get drunk off his gamey, alcohol-ridden blood. Not to mention this was the first time she'd completely lost her appetite.
She'd given him quite a thumping for his stupidity, and was honestly surprised the pitiful little whelp didn't die from it. She would have snapped his neck except for a shred of pity thinking of Atriox.
There wasn't any way he'd been felled by some... insect. The vampire, the dragonborn, housing some kind of dark curse, something that kept him alive beyond even vampiric supernatural means... there was no way he could be dead.
...Could it?
She hissed viciously as the thought invaded her mind, killing it. The last few times she'd been around Atriox were awkward at best. Bitter and uncomfortable if she were honest... She still didn't know how to feel about everything that's happened, especially given the circumstances now. But honestly at this point... none of that mattered.
"I'm going to find that moron... Alive." She mutters under her breath. "And then I'm going to kill him myself." She snarls, seeing only red. There was no way she'd admit she was worried. She willingly let her anger overwhelm her to mask it.
"...Idiot..."
Down near the far side of the docks Kora spots a boat that fits her liking. It would do well enough for one person.... Two, later. She cared not who it belonged to. It was hers now. Damned be anyone who tried to stop her.
She kneels to untie it. But before her hands can finish undoing the knot, her mind and body seize up. A wand is pressed roughly against her spine. She is suddenly paralyzed, like a gripping hand is squeezing her.
A seething, deep, dangerous voice whispers in her ear.
"Why... Hello Bonebreaker. Been waitin' for you."
****
*small time skip*
The gnolls help Atriox find the main entrance, clearing away fallen rubble before they start hauling out the goods. It's amazing how quickly they work. As small as they are, they definitely have stamina.
Irok laughs with Lurth as he explains the circumstances. She's obviously happy with his choice and you're sure Kiz wasn't wrong. The brothers have fun goofing off, playing with the old battered crown they found along with capes made from old tapestries.
At one point there is a mad scramble of terror as they accidentally activate a magical item. A large elephant appears between them, almost squishing them underfoot. It trumpeted, looking around placidly, before Rark figured out how to reduce it back into a figurine. For the next several hours the boys couldn't stop laughing and crying in delight at their brush with death.
It takes most of the afternoon to pack everything up, and in the cool breeze of evening you make your way out of the canyon.
Everyone is quite happy and excited, laughing and singing songs. The grandpa, bumping along in the back of one of the carts, sits up straight and whistles.
All their ears perk up and they look out along the rocks, bathed in dusk. Skittering movement stirs the sand nearby. Kiz gets a evil grin on her face.
"Mind joining us for one last hunt here, Atriox? We have some traditions I'll be missing."
Atriox looks at her curiosly
“Ohhh and what’s that ?”
The sand dragon comes up beside you and bumps your hand with its head roughly as if for a pet. Kiz snickers.
"Scorpions. Venom is great for coating weapons. Fun to try to avoid. Then we roast their heads and legs til they pop over the fire."
Her brothers jump up on the carts to get a better view. They pull out their own spears and bows with utter joy on their faces, licking their lips.
Atriox chuckles while petting his new friend
“ I think I’ll pass but thank you I’m honored. This brutal desert has taken it’s toll on me. But I’ll help with the fire after ?”
Atriox gives her a mischievous grin
"We've been here a few times, but always hearin' noises coming from further in. This is where we found the coins before, though we're certain there's more."
(Make an investigation check for me :) )
(First roll of the day literally a Nat 20)
You glance around at the canyon walls, your sharpened senses taking in all the details. You notice old carvings, faded away from centuries of wind and sun. Kicking your feet through the sand on the ground you hear a clink. Picking up what you kicked, you find another faded coin that matches Irok's.
You see cracks along the walls to your left. They appear to whistle as if a wind is blowing through them. An entrance is apparently further ahead, but... you can't help but think these also connect to some inner caverns.
Atriox approaches what he thinks is a side passage in and feels it with one of his hands. After a more careful examination he whistles to the rest
“I think I found something.....a second way in.”
Rark and Kiz come over to look at the wall with you. They examine what you've found in detail and Kiz smiles.
"This could work in our favor... what's your idea?"
Atriox thinks on it still feel the wall
“With our combined weight together we might be able to break some of this away.”
The others look at each other and laugh. "Sounds good!" They rush up, as small as they are, and wait for your signal.
(With advantage got 24 strength)
With your superior size and strength, both natural and supernatural, you head the assault on the wall with your companions. Claws dig into the fractured rock and sandstone, and with a strong slam from all of you at once a part of the wall gives way.
The crumbing pieces shower over the small gnolls around you. Gyzz and Gazz cackle with elation. The hole is now big enough for them, but a tight squeeze for you.
(Nat 19 acrobatics )
You exhale deeply, forcing your body through as best you can. It's horridly tight but at least smooth. The gnolls see your attempt and try to help, pushing and tugging a you to get you through the rest of the way.
Finally you land on the other side, stumbling into the darkness as your eyes adjust. Your feet clink on small coins littering the tunnel you're in.
It seems like something or someone tried moving the treasure here... perhaps multiple times...
Kiz, Gyz, Gazz, Irok and Rark follow leaving the mother, pup and grandfather to watch the wagons.
Irok comes up beside you, tugging on your arm. "Listen, you can hear the sounds of the beasts deeper in."
The more you try to focus, the more sound you hear. It's very echoy in these chambers, like a spiderweb of tunnels where sound reverberates every which way. The breathing of some creature, or creatures, is distinct. Almost like snores; draconic, loud and grizzly.
Atriox looks at them all
“ if it indeed is some sort of dragon kind the first option is not to fight it you hear me ? The first thing to do is access the situation and then I’ll talk to it. Now let’s do this “
They look at each other, finding the thought ridiculous but keeping it to themselves. The boys look ready to laugh but the sister growls low to shut them up.
Rark nods. "Understood. We're right behind you."
You make your way down the primary tunnel, following the sounds as best you can. It's difficult with the echoing.
(Make a check of your choice to try to navigate the tunnels, and feel free to explain why xD I wanna leave this skill challenge up to your creativity)
(You need to succeed at 3 out of 5 checks to find the right "exit".... each skill check you use needs to be a different skill)
Atriox looks around examining all the different tunnels to see which one has been used the most by the creature within
(Investigation 17
(success 1)
Although each tunnel shows scratches and gouges from strange draconic claws, a smaller tunnel off to the left looks freshest. The dusty sand hasn't settled into the cracks as well, and you lead the gnolls in that direction.
(Next skill of your choice!)
Atriox bends down low in the tunnel using his knowledge of dragon kind to find any clues and which way the beasts home is
(Insight 14+3)
(Success 2!)
You figure the creature you're hunting is close to the treasure, as dragons tend to be. Coins continue to litter the floor. The sounds still come from every direction, like a multitude of enemies surrounding you. The gnolls are definitely jumpy, hands on their weapons and trying to keep to their word to not attack.
It feels warmer further in. That also seems likely for these sorts of beings you're hunting... You press onward, straight down the next tunnel.
(Next skill of your choice)
Atriox uses all his senses to his advantage to continue guiding the way
(Perception raw 19)
(3 in a row... you win xD)
You sense movement in the darkness ahead of you. A clanking, clinking noise as coins are jostled along the floor. A scraping of claws and a large tail.
Gazz can't help but let out a small whine in terror. He can sense it too and backs away slightly, tripping into his brother.
Atriox growls lowly
“Steady yourselves. Fear will not help you. Stay calm, stay in control, and you’ll see the end of this “
(14 persuasion)
Atriox forges onward
You step forward and suddenly the movement stops. All is quiet. Dark. You see a room full of treasure--strange artifacts, coins and material littered about. It's not as large as Tyranus' hoard, but it is still sizable and ancient.
A growling comes from the corner. Eyes light up the room.
(Make a Dexterity Save for me XD)
(14)
A massive shape leaps from the darkness, slamming you to the floor. All the wind is knocked from your stomach, your bones and muscles aching horridly after the trouble you've been having the last several days. This did not help at all.
Looking up you see the gaping maw of a rather sizable draconian like beast. Made of rough rock-like armor and plates, it had no wings but instead short, powerful limbs. It's stomach glows blue in the darkness, contrasting the sandstone color of its back and head. Beady eyes watch you hungrily, looking a little confused that you yourself are dragon-like.
Atriox growls a lift bit at the pain and the being on top of him. He switches to Draconic even though the gnulls won’t understand him
“Stop......Stop. We wish you no harm and would rather not fight.”
The felldrake lifts its head, mouth closing. It stares down in curiosity at you with a low, jittering gurgle. Then it looks over at the gnolls. Its mouth opens again in hunger. A thick saliva drips from its teeth. There is no attempt to respond back, but you get the feeling it understood you.
Atriox nods and continues in draconic
“I know you understand me. I was truthfully not expecting to find any of my brethren here. Spose I should have know better. How about you calm down and let me up eh ?”
(Roll.... animal handling check for me)
(16)
It whines slightly chomping its jaws. Backing off of you, you can finally breathe. The sand dragon winds its way around the room again, sniffing and growling, burrowing its face in the piles of coin as it goes.
Atriox gets up and stretches his sore body. Afterwards he motions for the gnulls to back up for a bit and leave it to him
Atriox approaches the dragon slowly and calmly before bending on one knee and continues to try and calm it
“Hello there. Your a magnificent specimen of dragon kind. Are you all alone down here ?”
Its head pops up from metal, sniffing and snorting in a pleased manner. Chomping its teeth again it merely looks around. There is certainly no one else here, but the echoes of is movement bounce from wall to wall like a dozen others.
Head to tail its likely at least ten feet in length, but without rearing back it only stands three to four feet from the ground. Compared to the gnolls he'd be a massive opponent, but to you...
Atriox smiles at the beast as it it acts somewhat silly. He grunts some steam and then pats the ground in front of him
“Say how about you come over here and I throw a proposition your way ? You like treasure ? Well I got more where this game from.”
It snorts, sniffing its way over to you as if smelling for treasure on your person. It looks interested for sure. The gnolls peek in from the entryway, completely intrigued by what you're doing.
Atriox chuckles a little and holds his hand up slowly
“I won’t hurt you. I swear it on our shared blood.”
Hoping it believes him he begins to scratch it behind its ears an under its head gently
“I have a lot of treasure of my own. And me friends came here for this treasure as well. Now seeing as you were her first I don’t just want to take it so how about this. We let them take a little of it for there trouble and the rest here we’ll add to my horde. You like treasure don’t you ? We’ll if you come with me you’ll have plenty of it to bury your head in and sleep on. How’s that sound ? Plus you won’t be alone anymore.”
You look around and see that, despite the piles of coppers and silvers lining the corners, there is an abundance of items. Old tapestries, strange scroll cases, boxes of strange figurines... It was definitely the remains of an old civilization, all gathered here by this little monster.
The little dragon snuffs your hand, pushing its face into it. Almost bowling you over, but in a friendly way. It seems to like the idea.
The gnolls don't seem to argue much with what you're doing, seeing as you've somehow magically tamed the beast they thought they'd have to fight tooth and nail with.
Atriox scratches it some more with a happy smile
“Alright then you’re coming with me ! But no eating anybody.....yet. Now I have to go speak with those fur balls over there. Get ready to leave.....in whatever way you do that.”
Atriox awkwardly gets up and heads over to the gnulls to talk
They laugh and jump on you as you approach, like a gladiator after a fight.
"That was amazing!"
"So it's going to leave?"
"Now what?"
"Is there an easier way out?"
Atriox snickers at there excitement and questions
“ Yes it’s leaving.....with me. I’ve talked it into coming along on my journey. Now friends it’s time we haggle our terms of the treasure. Now I’m not gonna bullshit you. I know from my short time with you that you all value honesty.Seeing as I’m the one who guided you in here and talked this out without a fight I’ll be taking the biggest share. I’m willing to give you guys 15% of the Gold. Once I’ve arranged the items I may gift you some of the items through out this horde.”
Atriox holds up his hand to stem any comment
“I’m not done. I have an offer for you all as well. How attached are you to the Komodori ? Would you ever leave ?”
Each of them has a different mix of looks on their faces about the share of the cuts. But at the second question they glance at one another with uncertainty.
"It's what we know. Never been anywhere else." Irok cautiously speaks up for the others, used to being their voice. "Why do you ask?"
Atriox looks at him directly
“Because you and your family showed me kindness that’s why. You saved me. I don’t care your specific reasons for doing it. You seem like honorable warriors who live to hard day to day. I am offering you the same chance I offer many. Come with me, live more fulfilling lives. There’s opportunity for all of you.”
Surprise is evident on his face. The brothers whisper excitedly to one another. Rark looks skeptical but Irok shrugs.
"I can... Speak with my mate when we meet with her again? It is true these lands have become more dangerous..."
"But familiar. We know how to manage." His brother mutters.
Kiz glances between them. "Why not? We could return later if we choose. Couldn't we?"
Irok laughs. "Let me consider your kind offer. It's... Difficult to pass up. What is this Arkoshia like?"
Atriox nods
“ fair enough. And my homeland is definitely more temperate than this but my mountain kingdom can accommodate just about anyone I believe. And if you think this is a lot of gold my friends you haven’t seen anything.”
The boys gicker under their breaths with excitement.
"I see..." Irok chuckles, scratching his neck again. "You're a funny fellow. I'm glad we didn't eat you."
Chewing on his tongue, he thinks for a minute longer. "Well......... I suppose we would be stupid not to accept." He reaches up to shake your hand with his paw and a snaggletoothed smirk.
"You are very kind, Atriox."
Atriox chuckles while shaking his hand
“What happened to asking your mate ?”
Kiz cackles very unlady-like.
"If ma found out he'd hesitated on an offer like that, she'd skin him."
Irok snorts and shrugs in agreement.
Atriox just simply laughs throwing his head back
****
****Meanwhile...****
"Idiot...!"
Bonebreaker Dorokor stomps across the ship deck practically leaping from the railing. The sun burns her eyes and makes her skin crack but she could care less.
A sailor who saw her land from such a height rushes over to see if she's alright. With a swift shove, she knocks him out of her way right into the water.
"All idiots..."
She scans the docks and the coastline... Looking for a ship, a boat, whatever she can find that would get her to the mainland.
She'd almost taken Tak up on his offer as a meal... Except she didn't want to get drunk off his gamey, alcohol-ridden blood. Not to mention this was the first time she'd completely lost her appetite.
She'd given him quite a thumping for his stupidity, and was honestly surprised the pitiful little whelp didn't die from it. She would have snapped his neck except for a shred of pity thinking of Atriox.
There wasn't any way he'd been felled by some... insect. The vampire, the dragonborn, housing some kind of dark curse, something that kept him alive beyond even vampiric supernatural means... there was no way he could be dead.
...Could it?
She hissed viciously as the thought invaded her mind, killing it. The last few times she'd been around Atriox were awkward at best. Bitter and uncomfortable if she were honest... She still didn't know how to feel about everything that's happened, especially given the circumstances now. But honestly at this point... none of that mattered.
"I'm going to find that moron... Alive." She mutters under her breath. "And then I'm going to kill him myself." She snarls, seeing only red. There was no way she'd admit she was worried. She willingly let her anger overwhelm her to mask it.
"...Idiot..."
Down near the far side of the docks Kora spots a boat that fits her liking. It would do well enough for one person.... Two, later. She cared not who it belonged to. It was hers now. Damned be anyone who tried to stop her.
She kneels to untie it. But before her hands can finish undoing the knot, her mind and body seize up. A wand is pressed roughly against her spine. She is suddenly paralyzed, like a gripping hand is squeezing her.
A seething, deep, dangerous voice whispers in her ear.
"Why... Hello Bonebreaker. Been waitin' for you."
****
*small time skip*
The gnolls help Atriox find the main entrance, clearing away fallen rubble before they start hauling out the goods. It's amazing how quickly they work. As small as they are, they definitely have stamina.
Irok laughs with Lurth as he explains the circumstances. She's obviously happy with his choice and you're sure Kiz wasn't wrong. The brothers have fun goofing off, playing with the old battered crown they found along with capes made from old tapestries.
At one point there is a mad scramble of terror as they accidentally activate a magical item. A large elephant appears between them, almost squishing them underfoot. It trumpeted, looking around placidly, before Rark figured out how to reduce it back into a figurine. For the next several hours the boys couldn't stop laughing and crying in delight at their brush with death.
It takes most of the afternoon to pack everything up, and in the cool breeze of evening you make your way out of the canyon.
Everyone is quite happy and excited, laughing and singing songs. The grandpa, bumping along in the back of one of the carts, sits up straight and whistles.
All their ears perk up and they look out along the rocks, bathed in dusk. Skittering movement stirs the sand nearby. Kiz gets a evil grin on her face.
"Mind joining us for one last hunt here, Atriox? We have some traditions I'll be missing."
Atriox looks at her curiosly
“Ohhh and what’s that ?”
The sand dragon comes up beside you and bumps your hand with its head roughly as if for a pet. Kiz snickers.
"Scorpions. Venom is great for coating weapons. Fun to try to avoid. Then we roast their heads and legs til they pop over the fire."
Her brothers jump up on the carts to get a better view. They pull out their own spears and bows with utter joy on their faces, licking their lips.
Atriox chuckles while petting his new friend
“ I think I’ll pass but thank you I’m honored. This brutal desert has taken it’s toll on me. But I’ll help with the fire after ?”
Atriox gives her a mischievous grin
The carts speed up, Rark and Irok pulling with all their might to keep up the momentum; their vibrations being what attracted the scorpions in the first place.
The kids howl with laughter, leaping from their positions and rushing across the sand. Weapons on their backs or in their mouths, they transition to running on all fours like feral animals. You've never seen someone run as fast as Kiz can.
Scorpions start crawling out from the rocks--not at all the size you'd expected. Like everything else here they seem huge--at least a few feet across, some even bigger than that. Their carapaces gleam emerald in the light. Kiz slams the glaive down into the sand, vaulting over the scorpions in the front before swinging it around and snapping all their legs.
Her brothers yip and jump around two different insects, dodging the stings with great dexterity. Their eyes gleam in the moonlight, teeth snarling in delight. A mighty contrast to their silly demeanor that morning, they are most definitely fearsome hunters with years under their belts to show for it.
After several minutes they catch up to you and the others near the bottom of the hill, hauling the carcasses behind them by the tails. Panting and elated they all celebrate with a renewed course of baying.
"Fire for the feast?" One of the brothers chuckles, his mouth and face covered in gore. You can only assume he pinned his and killed it with a bite from his jaws.
Atriox chuckles
“Get some wood and then I’ll light it. This is gonna be one hell of a fire .”
He licks his lips and rushes with his brother to not only just get you wood, but to tear down an entire tree--a scraggly dead one nearby. Marked as the sacrifice, the boys are on it in an instant.
Now crashed to pieces on the desert floor they bow like court jesters. "How does this entertain the lord?"
Atriox dismisses then with a wave
“Smart asses the lot of ya. I’ll show you something.”
Atriox concentrates for a moment and then opens his maw and unleashes a torrent of draconic flames upon the tree
They jump back in surprise, completely elated. The fire reaches up, crackling and popping as it devours the impossibly dry wood. Yipping and howling continues all around you, their shadows dancing like imps across the ground. It reminds you of the first night you saw them.
After some preparation and rather disgusting show of the carcasses popping and oozing, Irok walks over and hands you a cooked scorpion leg. It's the size of a king crab leg and absolutely massive. The kids are cracking and sucking the meat out of them like ravenous little wolves.
"Care to join us?" He chuckles, his eyes gleaming in the light.
Atriox holds a hand up
“No but thank you Irok. I do appreciate it. Once I would have gladly accepted it..... before...well”
Atriox flashes his red eyes in the night to show what he means
“But perhaps my friend over there would like it.”
Atriox takes it over to the Sand Dragon and talks in Draconic
“Here boy would you like this ?”
The drake sniffs it, mouth open and snorting the smell. A large flat tongue flicks out and wraps around it, crunching it in its jaws.
It begins shuffling against you, sniffing and snorting for more. It headbutts you in the leg and almost knocks you down.
Atriox stumbles back chuckling
“Woah boy easy there I don’t know if there’s more where that came from”
He snorts before wanders to the fire, burying his face in the coals and pulling out a roasted scorpion head. Within seconds he crunches it open, green boiling brains oozing out.
The small Tut squeals in delight, clapping his paws together. Gyzz stares open mouthed. "Coooool!!"
The night continues on merrily for hours. As the fire dies out, the stars take over and light the expansive wastes.
It's early before dawn when the gnolls scramble up, growling. It wakes you from your doze.
"Someone is here..." Kiz whines angrily, drawing the broken glaive.
A loud, piercing whistle echoes across the sky causing them all to cry out and cover their ears. Once it reaches its pinnacle...
KABOOM!
A large flash of writing covers the sky in rather fancy, scrawling, pink cursive:
"Where are you, dipshit?!"
Atriox holds his drawn sword out at the ready. He’s almost certain they’re referring to him but he’s cautious
“Who goes there ?!”
The boys leap up and rush off toward the cliffs, sniffing and howling as they go.
As they disappear around the corner there's a shriek and a clang of steel as swords meet, a shout, lastly followed a loud yelp.
"Atriox?!" You recognize the voice instantly. It's Dahlia.
Atriox growls and rolls his eyes. To the gnulls he yells
“It’s alright guy’s she’s a friend. Stand down please.”
Atriox goes and looks where her voice came from his sword over one shoulder
As you approach you find not only Dahlia but also Gogrog, his own sword drawn and holding back the two gnolls.
As soon as she sees you she rushes forward, tackling you in a hug and bursting into tears. "You really are alive!! Oh gods above!"
In her hand is a fizzling wand and in the other, a crudely drawn map.
Gogrog sighs and steps back, sheathing his weapon. The gnolls scramble away, gawking and cackling at everything as if it was the funniest thing on the planet.
Atriox embraces Dahlia and let’s her work out her emotions. After a minute he pulls her back a little bit
“And just how did you find me ?”
Dahlia steadies her shaky breath and smiles. "Um, well, I uh..." she glances at Gogrog who just shrugs, eyeing the gnolls gathered nearby.
"I heard what happened--what everyone thought happened, anyway... Um..." She shakes her head as if she still can't believe it.
"I knew alive or not, you had a work to do. So I hoped at least to recover your things, if not give you a proper burial."
Gogrog wanders over. "Weren't tryin a lot. Saw your flames from a distance. She insisted we come tonight."
Atriox grunts
“Yes I suppose I wasn’t hiding very well. Come everybody let us return to said fire”
They oblige and the gnolls rekindle the fire, warming you all against the chill. Dahlia can't stop holding your hand, amazed still that you're alive.
"We camped near the shore... Gogrog was insistent that the night was too dangerous here. We were to look for you in the morning. But the light from the flames in the distance... I just knew..."
She leans forward, kissing your hand and bowing her head as if once more in thankful prayer.
"Oh!" She sits up, embarrassed. "I'm sorry about the writing! I didn't know--"
Dahlia hides her face again both aghast and humored.
"Oxious made some wands for emergencies. If people were lost, boats were too far, or... I'm not sure... I just grabbed one... He called them signal flares."
Atriox grunts and rolls his eyes
“Yep that sounds like Oxious alright. Well thank you for coming to find me. The thought is appreciated from both of you and thank you for defending Dahlia Gorog. Now let me introduce you to my new friends who’s saved me and who are joint our little expedition.”
Atriox goes pointing and introducing everybody who’s around the fire
The gnolls are more than thrilled. In the time following, the boys play with the spent wand like wizards, Rark sits with Gogrog and talks about the old days of Komodori, and Dahlia asks Irok a million questions as to his medicine techniques.
As dawn approaches, the caravan heads back to the sea.
The boat there is a perfect size, moored just off the coast with a half dozen kobolds guarding it.
At your approach there is a wild chatter followed by squeals and yips of delight. A few literally jump from the side and swim to greet you, like a ghost from beyond the grave.
Atriox laughs and waves at them. Though he won’t admit it he’s happy that they clearly missed him
****
****Meanwhile....****
"Why do you care, Tanarukk?"
Kora's voice is hoarse and cracking, her hands bound above her head in the dark basement. She winces again as for the umpteenth time, a trickle of holy water burning its way down her bare back. It hangs above her in a bloated sack.
"I can't explain why. But I've always cared, Bonebreaker." A massive orc sits across from her on a chair, twirling a stolen wand around. It's hardly bigger than a twig in his hands... unlike the massive, serrated greatsword on his back.
His eyes harden with a look alone that could kill. "But despite that, you left us. You led the others away. To slaughter your OWN CLAN on the battlefield! And for what?"
She coughs against the bile in her throat, the recent vomit on the floor a testament to her body's rejection of what he'd force fed her already.
"I was TRYING to save the clan you bastard! That necromancer used our brother's flesh in his experiment shit! I'm sure you saw that!"
Tanarukk stands, shrugging his heavily tattooed arms. "A job is a job. We've always known that." He snorts through his heavily pierced nose. "We aren't afraid of sacrifices."
"Screw you."
He walks around her, taking her in. "And look what happened... You'd been caught up in some stupid scheme. Swayed to help the humans. All those lesser beasts." The orc stops in front of her for a moment, looking with disgust at her bruised stomach. "Half-bred trash..."
"...And if it wasn't for Shagrol, I wouldn't have known at all where you were leaving to."
She grimaces, another drip scalding her spine. She at least had the satisfaction of watching Atriox burn that rat alive on her ship. Tanarukk walks to a shredded painting on the wall, a landscape of the Freetown coastline.
"I thought I'd lost you, Bonebreaker. Especially when our ship wrecked off the coast from those monsters.... ah, but what am I saying..."
He walks forward, taking her chin in his hand and forcing a hard kiss on her. "When I heard about those mutilated piss-ants on the island north of here, I knew." He grins, kissing her passionately again against her will. "I knew it was you. Broken arms. Shattered skulls. Aaah... Sounded just like the old days, sweetheart."
She tries to bite him but he just laughs. Coldly. All her fangs are gone, pulled and discarded across the ground.
"And now that I've found you again..." He grunts, grabbing her neck. "I'm going to fix this stupid curse on you. It obviously skews your judgment." With his other hand he forces a vial in her mouth, holy water pouring down her throat. Her eyes flare bright red as she struggles, gagging. He clasps her mouth shut but it doesn't help-- just like before, everything comes back up again. He steps back, irritated, and hits her across the face.
"I don't know why you're resisting... You'll thank me later." He backs away, heading for the stairs. The sounds of orcs in the room above merrymaking and whoring are just barely muffled.
Tanarukk sneers as he exits. "I've missed you, Dorokor."
Kora spits at him. "Go f*** yourself."
He laughs and slams the door.
Treasures of Freetown - A Gnoll Rescue and Recovery - Part 2
Time passes. Night falls. Strange sounds come from the rocks as worms wriggle their way from their hiding holes, sensing the free meal. They move forward to the irlgaunt, sucking at the spilled flesh. Cleaning away what has happened as the desert is so good at doing. They eat everything, in time. Bone, metal, armor, clothes, acid... nothing is left. Like nothing ever transpired... a clean, sterile slate.
Atriox... you feel no pain. No aches in your body. There's almost a light, bright and distant at the edges of your vision. Shimmering colors dance, but faintly. So faintly. You want to sleep. To close your eyes... but they are already closed.
A gentle, deep, resonant voice pricks your mind. It says your name. Is that your name? It says it again.
"Atriox..."
It vibrates low in your body, in your soul, the first sensation you feel. That you ever felt.
It says your name again.
The pulsing colors grow. Beautifully. Calmly. Gently like the voice. Disembodied as it is, it is the most comforting thing you've ever felt. It overwhelms you, floods every scale and nerve with peace.
"One of my faithful..." Its breath is like a sigh. Somber and rich as the changing seasons. As life and death.
You feel your muscles twitch and move, though you float in this unknown space. Your mouth can suddenly part, as pleasing as it must have felt with the first breath you took from your hatchling egg.
Atriox baths in the multitude of feelings and thoughts going through him right now. He asks himself if he's dead or not and if so where is he ?
After the being says finishes talking to him Atriox is suddenly flooded with realization......the bright colors, the powerful presence, they make Atriox remember the stories he heard as a kid from his father and tutors
Tears roll down his cheeks as he trys to speak
"It's impossible.......Io......is that you.......Allfather ?"
You don't hear a response in your ears as much as you feel a burning in your chest, something bright and warm like the sun. A confirmation of your question. A resounding yes.
"Without darkness... there is no light." The words make your body vibrate as they speak. The light around you grows brighter.
But you feel, in the pit of your stomach... a knot. Looking down you see a glowing orb of darkness, like a dark stone. Lusterless. Absorbing the light. Around it is a red haze of vampiric energy... separate from it, but encircling it.
"Without trials..." Sounds and smells of war permeate your vision like ghosts. The smell of your home burning. The screams of your people. Your tears disturb the vision like stones thrown in water, erasing them. "...There can be no peace."
"Without sense of pain..." it whispers, "there is no sense of pleasure."
Your nerves begin to react, spreading through your body like needles. All the pain from your battle, your fall, your expended energy. The memories come back with every ounce of pain growing. It's almost too much to bear, but the light pulses and and it eases just slightly.
Atriox gasps from the experience and bows his head
" I am unworthy to be in your presence, to hear your words Allfather.........ask anything of me.....I am your servant. Now and always."
All the lights and colors swirl around you.... It is almost blinding. You can barely perceive it from behind your eyelids, but it begins to make up the faint shape of a great dragon's head.
"Live..." The voice begins to fade. "Live... and..."
You watch its mouth move as the pain overtakes you, but you can't make out the last two words... its too far now. It dissipates. You're sinking down below the colors, below the light. Down...
Down...
Down........
.....
Voices, singing, begin to break through the fog. You find it extremely difficult to move your body. Everything aches. All is darkness and flickering fire beyond your eyelids.
Peering out is painful. You see dark sky above you, splattered with stars in almost every inch of inky blackness. It reminds you of the light from your dream....
Shadows shoot across you, across the ground, cast from the bright, crackling fire.They flicker like dancing imps against the rocks and wagons surrounding you. Dangerous, excited, elated. You watch the creatures, difficult to make out against the bright light. Their song rings in your ears like chimes in the wind.
Twenty gnolls stood together gathered in a field.
A mighty fighter saw us there and dropped his magic shield!
A brilliant long sword in each hand, Plate mail shiny bright,
He confronted all the gnolls thinking slaughter, not a fight.
They all bark loudly as they continue in their rough, wild song.
This fighter is an impressive sight, some gnolls think to flee,
But the chief, in commanding tone, barks, "Gnolls, follow me!”
And so our score of gnolls charge towards our fearsome foe,
The fighter calculates his odds, and waits our blood to sow.
The fighter is certain of success, 'neath blade they all shall die.
But in an instant we are upon him, he goes down beneath the tide!
And thus the melee continues on until the fighter fell.
His mail still shining brightly, his swords still sharp as hell.
The dust did clear, all were well, a few nursed knicks and scrapes.
And in the end, we had a feast, With the fighter on our plates!
They cackle and gicker, laughing and cajoling with one another. They tumble and spin and dance again, the sing going on and on. It makes you dizzy.
Atriox groans and try's to sit up but barely even manages to lift his head before passing back out
****
You wake sometime later, a strange liquid being poured into your mouth. It soothes your burning throat. You didn't realize how thirsty you were until that moment, but the nourishment it gives you feels lacking... your body aches and craves fresh blood as it always tends to.
Your eyes focus and you see a furry faced creature quite like a feral dog staring down at you. Tan and speckled with dark spots, it grins a wide, toothy smile. Gold rings pierce its ears in several places and accent its golden eyes.
"You wake!" His voice is gravely but friendly.
"It wake! It wake!" Voices echo around you, hysterically laughing and bouncing about. Growling and yelping can be heard as a few other scrawnier ones tumble about, rough housing and biting one another.
Atriox groans at all the noise and trys to sit up so he can see whats going on
You find yourself surrounded by a small pack of wolf-like beasts, apparently called gnolls. Dressed in rather light and airy garb for comfort in the desert, they are rowdy and obnoxious as much as they are fierce looking.
The one who was watching over you steps back, eyeing you as you sit up. "You feeling better now? Mostly dead you were."
He sits, scratching the side of his face and under his chin with a clawed hand. "Saw the flame on the mountain. By time we got to you it was night, sure you not survive much longer otherwise. You had very little treasure in your pockets."
You find this statement odd and can't help but look yourself over. Your clothes have all been removed, replaced with clean, fresh linen. The coarse material isn't so much an issue except for the fact that none of your items are on your person.
You spot a few gnolls near a cart gawking at a basket full of things. One picks up what you instantly recognize as the map Etny gave you. The other picks up the scorched platinum from Tak.
Atriox trys to focus on the creature who is talking to him
"Well I don't feel dead. So I suppose that is a plus..........Say who are you if you don't mind me asking and may I have my things back ?"
"Irok," he says, thumping his chest. "Irok Claynose."
"You not dead 'cause we got these out." He picks up a bowl beside you full of sharp brittle rock, covered in bile, acid and your own blood.
You realize there are quite a few little tools scattered about, as well as your old bloody clothes.
"As for things.... Hmmmm...." he glances at the others, snickering and guffawing at one another.
One with a black muzzle has your bag on his head like the crown of a king, acting puffed up and proud. The other, a gnoll with a pale cream muzzle, howls with laughter and punches him in the stomach.
Atriox decides to ignore his belongings.....for now
He looks at the one he's talking to
"Irok did you say ? Well you and your people have my thanks. Indeed I was sure as I fell that was the end."
He chuckles quite like the others. "We thought so too, honestly. Saw the fire from a distance."
You realize they likely meant to scavenge you, but chose otherwise. "Irlgaunts.. horrid things.... Rocks digest you from the inside." He motions to the shards.
"And that fall... You must have had wings to survive, friend."
Atriox chuckles at that
"Something like that I suppose. Well whatever your intentions you have my thanks. So where do we go from here ? You seem freinds but what are your intentions if I may ask ?"
"Well..."
"Can we eat him now dad?!"
The two gnolls playing with your gear gicker excitedly. Irok rolls his eyes.
"That.... Was the original plan. To be completely honest." He shrugs and laughs.
"It's better to not pretend otherwise. But..." he tilts his head, the rings in his ears clinking together. "My daughter and brother thought you might be of some use to us... We have a problem."
Atriox turns his head to the side curiously
"I appreciate your honesty. We're both survivors I think. What is this problem exactly?"
He nods. "We came across a treasure... Near the base of the cliffs."
He points off in the distance, and you see they've brought you a few miles from where you fell.
"At least... Pieces." He scratches his cheek again, pulling out a few pieces of gold to show you. They are tarnished and sand blasted, but definitely ancient.
"We scavenge and sell in towns when need be. These help. But, if we try to go further in..."
"BOOM!"
The dad jumps as one of his sons lands next to you both, laughing his head off at startling him. His brother keels over laughing, falling from the wagon into the sand.
"Yes, well..." he kicks the boy with his foot and he just rolls away, laughing. "It's guarded apparently. My daughter and brother thought perhaps a dragonborn would help. So I did my best to assist."
There's a small cloud of sand spraying up in the distance and the two brothers yip and hop up in excitement. They rush off, transitioning between running on two feet to sprinting on all fours.
In moments you see two other gnolls making their way to meet you. They cojole with the boys for a moment and continue on, slowing back down to two feet as they near you.
"Pa, it's done." A leaner more mature looking female tosses a tarp at your feet, wrapped around a bundle of severed spiderlike legs--remains of the irlgaunt.
She smirks showing cruel teeth, her gold eyes flashing between you both. You see she sports gold rings around her arms and neck, a silvery back... And she has your glaive slung around her.... Broken and shorter than it used to be. It seems to fit her size though, all of the gnolls being quite a bit smaller than you.
Beside her is a bulkier gnoll, mostly black with streaks of gray. His crippled right hand rests on the hilt of a sword at his side, his left sporting dark claws both natural and metal alike.
"You are awake." The older fellow snorts. "Good, good."
Atriox looks at them all
"Your all very interesting if I might say so. I've never been to the desert so I'm lacking in knowledge of the area."
He looks at the newly arrived female and smiles
"I see your putting my glaive to good use. It appears to be somewhere shorter than I remember."
She snickers, pulling it down and swinging it around. "Seems like a fine size to me." Her tail wags a little in pride. The uncle clears his throat.
"We appreciate you taking down the irlgaunt... it's been plaguing that area recently and to be honest, we couldn't take it on ourselves. Its death came as a pleasant surprise."
The female sits by the wagon, stretching. "Now we just need to take on the beastly dragon, and we can see what it's guarding." She looks excited to go, glancing at Atriox. The two brothers have taken to sword fighting with the spider-like legs in the background.
Atrioxs scratches his chin
"Hmmmm dragon you say ? Well there's definitely treasure. I wonder if perhaps it's the same that I came looking for with my map."
"Map?" They say the word together, all looking at you.
The uncle goes over to the wagon. He finds the parchment discarded on the ground where the brothers dropped it. "Ah... How interesting."
He studies it as he walks back. "This is an old trail... Not anywhere close to where we found you, but..."
"Well even if it is, we found it first..." The female grumbles, picking her teeth with her claws. She is small but definitely looks dangerous in her own right.
Atriox laughs loudly
"Indeed you did though you had the advantage of knowing the area plus I was busy fighting a monster on my own. But before we get to hostilities lets be introduced first shall we ? I'm Prince Atriox of Arkhosia."
They all stare at you for a moment, before looking at each other and breaking out into a course of cackling laughter.
"Ahaha...! Well as you know I'm Irok Claynose. King, I suppose, of the Silvertail Pack." He smiles wide, wiping a tear from his eye. His boys fall over in a fit of giggles.
"This is my brother, Rark Deadclaw. Um... Duke." The more stern looking fellow nods with a snaggletoothed smirk.
The female pipes up. "I'm Kiz Bloodfoot... Those idiots are Gyzz and Gazz, my younger brothers."
"Princes!" The boys salute like play soldiers, but you can tell they're muscular, fast, and trained hunters. She groans and sinks against the cart.
Irok laughs. "My mate, Lurth, is foraging off with our youngest, Tut. Eight of us in all."
Atriox looks confused as to whats so funny
"I'm sorry please forgive my.......ignorance, but what's so funny ? And I figured you were the cheif"
Atriox gestures to the leader as he rises to stretch his sore body
"Life." He raises his paws, shrugging. "Life itself is funny. And then we die." The others laugh in a strange mirthful way.
"Also," he pauses, scratching his ear, "You are funny."
The uncle snorts. "Why would a prince be out on his own? Alone? Rock climbing, treasure hunting, sailing and splunking..."
Irok chuckles deeply and without guile. "You sound more like a pirate than a prince."
"As much as anyone is a prince or pauper..." The female shrugs, sharpening your old glaive.
The boys come over, playing with your horns and tail. "And lords we know are vile and vicious! No one likes them!"
"Shush, pups." Their dad waves his paw at them. "Yes, we are not pleased with rulers here, but you live longer with your traps shut than yammering on like that."
Atriox grunts and playfully growls to get the kids of him. He shoots some steam out of his nostrils at one
"Well ol cheif you have some good points except I'm not alone. I fought the monster alone to give my troops time to get away as they probably would have just died trying to fight that monster."
Atriox stretches his arms upward and then bends downward testing his mobility
"I am a Prince. But not like the kind your used to. I have an army to back it up and once we retake my castle it'll be done."
You feel a twinge in your gut where your wounds are still tender, but overall your body just feels sore and stiff as a board. A night in even a half-decent bed sounds heavenly.
The others look around at one another, no longer laughing. "I see," Irok looks thoughtful. "I assume your castle is not here? You said Arkoshia... Across the sea, correct?"
The female, Kiz, shrugs. "Prince or not, we just need you to come with us. We saved you, you repay us. That's fair is it not?"
The uncle pets her on the head, making her grumble. "We cannot face these... dragons, or whatever they are, on our own. We have tried. Perhaps we can come to some.... agreement. If there is indeed a treasure inside."
Kiz gickers. "Like not kill him?" Rark pushes her head down, growling at her. "No. We might be barbaric but we're not orcs."
"Thoughts?" Irok tilts his head, looking at you curiously.
Atriox thinks on it
"Fine I'll help you with the "dragons". As your daughter so......bluntly ....put it I owe you. After that we will see about an agreement."
Atriox winces as he turns a wrong way. He looks at them carefully
"I have a specific......diet...and I need healing and strength for whats to come. Do any of you have.......blood to offer ? Or is there something I can hunt ?"
Uncle Rark stiffens at that. "Are you a vampire?"
Atriox looks at the uncle carefully before flashing his red eyes by way of reply
"Dammit." He sighs, pulling out his sword and approaching with intent to kill.
"I really thought this would work out. Maybe the dragons will still like your head."
The others startle at this, scrambling back in surprise.
He stops in front of you, sword extended to your neck.
His smile grows.
Then he laughs loudly.
"Hahahaha.... Your face!! Priceless..."
The others laugh. He swings his sword around in a flourish. Obciously his humor is drier and darker than the others.
"As long as you don't eat us I have no qualm." Rark's smile remains but you easily see his eyes are cold steel. He is definitely serious.
He then slices his right arm open, blood squirting out. He nonchalantly walks over to the cart, licks his sword clean, and plops bis arm atop a makeshift hammered pot.
"Can't feel it." He smiles, squeezing it and making it squirt out like a hose at the boys. They roll on the sand laughing.
Atriox looks at him with an intense stare as his eyes grow red
"That was a dangerous game you played. Very dangerous."
"Life is funny like that." He repeats after his brother. He carries over the dish and hands it to you.
The blood is hot and gamey, and just a little sandy.
Atriox almost doesn’t want to but he knows he must do it anyway so he just simply says
“Bottoms up”
And then proceeds to chug the blood
"That's the spirit," he chuckles and claps you hard on the back. It almost makes you choke.
"You're quite a unique fellow, Prince Atriox..." Irok strokes his chin. The dawn starts creeping over the horizon like a watchful eye and he glances at it.
"Well... If that invigorates well enough, we could go into town... Sell off some of this scrap, get you some gear. Go after dragons." He smirks. "What say you?"
Atriox feels the blood sink in and invigorate him. Once the feeling passes he looks at them with a raised eyebrow
“What are you calling junk ?”
"Not junk," he chuckles. "Scrap." The chief walks over to the cart with a grunt, holding up your mashed armor plating.
"We've also scavenged several raids east of here. Orcs leave as much as they take." He knocks around other metallic items in the back half heartedly.
Atriox grunts
“Fine buts first I want my property back. The coin, the rings, my bag.”
Atriox holds out an expectant hand
Irok shrugs. "Fine with me. Boys?"
The two groan and whine, dragging over the items and dumping them near you. "I gueeeeeeess...." the dark nosed one grudgingly drops the platinum back in your hand.
Looking through your gear you find it all there, though a bit more worn and dirty than before.
Atriox grunts In amusement as he wasn’t really asking but he’s glad he has everything back
“Well then shall we be off ?”
They all yip in agreement. Repacking your bag, you follow their little wagon and cart off to the south. Along the way some of them begin singing other strange songs, always with a sort of morbid twist.
After an hour or so you crest a road and see a shimmering blue light in the distance. Kiz, helping pull the cart, motions at it as you walk nearby.
"The City of Whistling Glass. There used to be Thri-Keen tunnels there, insect beasts. Legend has it a blue dragon electrified their lair for offending her." She smirks, shrugging.
"When she dragged out the remains, it looked like limbs of a great glass tree. The town now sits in its "shade"... my mother and brother are likely there already working. And my grandpa..." She chuckles. You realize Irok didn't mention his name yet.
Atriox chuckles
“This place just gets more and more intriguing. How do you like living here Kiz ?”
"Living here... Strange concept." She sniffs the air, likely picking up the smells of the cooking carts further ahead.
"We roam. Always have, always will. Our pack is our home... We've been many places in the Komodori already. Friendly areas are harder and harder to find, which is... unfortunate."
Atriox nods his head looking around and thinking
“What little I do know of it sounds very......chaotic to say the least. I’m very close to someone from here but she doesn’t talk much about it.”
"Oh?" Kiz raises an eyebrow. "It is a strange place... It changes. The sands move as much as we do."
She grunts, adjusting the cart behind her. "Is this friend of yours a gnoll like us?"
Atriox smiles and shakes his head
“Unfortunately no. She doesn’t have near a good enough sense of humor to be one of you. You are the first of your kind I’ve ever met. My friend is an orc.”
Kiz almost trips but catches herself again. She looks at you like you're crazy.
"I see... It's interesting here with the orcs. The clans have been at war for centuries." Her silvery tail swishes back and forth as she thinks. "Now with the mages, which doesn't change much. Small towns don't typically have a chance with raids. Orcs here are fierce and unforgiving."
Atriox just simply looks ahead and says
“So is life. We must all find our way amidst the chaos.”
The gnoll smirks at you. "That's sensible thinking coming from someone so highly born. Chaos breeds courage as they say."
You hear a strange sound in the air which only becomes more noticeable as you come closer. As the desert breeze reaches the glass trunk, it makes a dull, magical whistle. Its both melodic and haunting, and makes your soul ache.
Townspeople hang strange orb lanterns all over the branches, wherever reflected light from the sun shines in. Each lantern seems to be holding the light inside small batteries.
Atriox try’s to focus on answering her
“I may have been born high......but I lost everything when I was just a cub. I have survived because of my own strength and hard work. I understand you and your kin more than you think. Only recently have I achieved the means to even think about ascending again.....”
Atriox trails off as he looks around
Kiz looks thoughtful at those words. You approach works and she is more... quiet than usual.
Around the base of the tree you find stalls of various colors and shapes, including an area where street performers practice. A gnoll with light speckled hide and rather filled-in physique dances merrily about.
Playing small, clicking instruments that jangle with bracelets on her wrists and ankles, she is more than enveloped in a song. A small pup circles nearby, bearing puppy eyes at passers by who drop coin into a small bucket.
Atriox grunts and points
“I assume that is your mother and youngest brother then ?”
Kiz grins. "It is. And there's grandfather Zan" He sits nearby looking old and grizzled with gray all through his fur. Partially deaf and blind, he jangles a jar full of bones in one hand.
"He works as a seer in the town. Some believe, some don't. It comes down to who is willing to pay."
Atriox watches the mom dance a little bit and looks at the grandfather
“Curiouser and curiouser. But it’s a smart way to make some money I suppose. So now what ?”
"The show starts." She snickers.
As the carts come in and park next to mother, the brothers leap in among the bits and bobs, popping back out in ridiculous outfits and armor scrap. One looks a mismash of orcish war gear, splattered with paint or blood. The other, in some strange mage attire; perhaps something akin to the assistants aboard the Mage Guard's ship when they visited Dragonshore.
They begin to act out a silly mock battle; quite the performers it's easy to see. It's incredibly over the top, but brings the crowds around roaring with laughter. This town is definitely one of the more neutral ones, or at least, the normal citizens don't care for the war much at all.
Kiz just shrugs, twirling your glaive about. She snickers, patting the handle. "I take after my mother. This will come in handy." Pointing toward the others she says, "Go with my pa and uncle, they will find you what you need. They know the right places to go."
Irok smiles a toothy grin and gestures for you to follow him. He carries a large bundle on his back, as does Rark.
It feels surreal traveling with these small gnolls through the middle of this bustling market, hearing languages you've never heard before, smells and sounds you've never experienced, beneath the arms of a brilliant glass tree... Colors flash all across the ground in ribbons of light reminding you of your dream.
You follow them for some time, stopping at places along the way. Most stalls are just rugs on the ground, tarps pinned up above them to protect from the bright lights. Irok and Rark sell off scrap metal. The only parts of your armor that were really salvageable were few, but did include the skull bones of Tyranus.
Irok handles most of the talking, a strange form of common you're not familiar with. Rark sells off the large irlgaunt legs and carapace, along with several pints of liquid acid from it. It looks like they salvaged everything that the worms did not eat.
After a bit, Irok approaches you with a bundle of red fabric. He's grinning ear to ear.
"Atriox," he gestures for you to bend down. "Armor here is hard to come by. At least like what you had... but, no need you getting burned out in the sun."
He loops the fabric around your neck and over your shoulders, some type of desert tunic. It's a brilliant, rich crimson red made of very fine material. A lighter piece hangs over your head and down your back like a hood, trimmed with gold thread.
"Irlgaunts aren't common... and worth a good coin." Rark grunts. He thrusts a weapon into your hand, a large, steel blade that widens and curves at the end. Down the flat edge are decorative rings of brass that match the handle and crossguard; it's a beautiful piece, and deadly sharp.
"Fair is fair. You killed it. You get the coin's worth out of it." He gives you a look as if reminding you of the strange altercation earlier about your vampirism. Then he smirks.
Atriox grunts handling his new weapon with care testing the balance
“Time and time again you and your family keep surprising me. Your all decent folk and I appreciate that. After this is done we’ll see where fate leaves us all.”
Atriox steps back and gives his sword a few practice swings
"Surprises are what we're good at." Irok nudges his older brother who just rolls his eyes.
You're almost certain Rark got you a sword because that's what he was familiar with. But the sword feels fantastic in your hands. It's interesting wielding such a different kind of weapon; your glaive served you for quite a long time.
You head back over to the others, spotting Kiz expertly spinning your weapon around her in almost dangerous ways. She moves so quickly it's hard to follow sometimes. The brothers take bows from their cart, quite a sum of money earned from their ridiculous behavior.
As you walk by the seer Zan he reaches out and pulls at your new cloth, urging you to slow your pace. Looking up at you with rather dull, blind eyes he smiles.
"Care for a look into the future?" His voice is raspy but calming. Irok shakes his head and continues onward to the others, paying him no mind.
Atriox looks at him before nodding in respect
“Hello old one. And why would I do that when the future is constantly in motion ? Anything you tell me could easily change. No offense against your abilities meant.”
His smile grows, many teeth missing. "All too true, my young prince... Too true indeed."
As you continue on, Irok chuckles waiting for you. He obviously overheard. "Good response... Exactly how I feel. Course not so eloquently worded..."
Atriox chuckles
“He seems......I want to say kind enough.......but using the word kind doesn’t seem....right ?”
Atriox chuckles some more
“Now then I’m ready to do this whenever you and you’re family are. I sadly cannot be gone to long lest my people leave without me truly thinking me dead.”
Atriox flourishes his sword in a spin to make his point with a wide smile
****
(speaking of which............good place for a scene skip!)
The small ship arrives back in Freetown harbor, roughly bumping the dock on approach. An axebeak jumps free and clear, followed by the quiet scuttling of kobold claws. They all look silent and shell shocked... Except for Tak, who'd spent the journey drinking half his weight in spiked apple cider.
Sheila's ecstatic approach with her men stops short as she sees their faces. Looking around and taking everything in, she quiets and removes her hat. She approaches Darr.
"Tell me what happened."
****
Tak makes his way aboard the Annabel and heads straight for Atriox's room; almost as if he hoped beyond hope everything was a horrid dream and his brother was resting there. But only Kora answered the door, red eyed and sour. The small drunken kobold almost wished for death at that point, and despite her deadly glare sank to the floor like an offering. Her expression changed in an instant.
****
Vele looked up from her book the second she heard the sound of his claws on the stairs, nervously excited for Tak's return. But seeing her comrade drunken and miserable made her leap up to steady him. "Wh-what? Tak, what's wrong!?"
Sinking to her feet, he breaks down in sobs of crocodile tears. He retells the entirety of their journey. The argument. The scene after he returned to the plateau. She listens in stunned silence.
"W-we spent all night trying to get down to the desert floor. T-trying to recover..." He can't seem to finish the sentence. "But so little was left. We couldn't even find him, all the... the scavengers... the insects..."
"...Atriox put you in charge." Tak swallows, shame and guilt shackling him. Vele's eyes widen in distress. "Atriox wanted you to instruct us... He trusted you more than any."
****
Atriox... you feel no pain. No aches in your body. There's almost a light, bright and distant at the edges of your vision. Shimmering colors dance, but faintly. So faintly. You want to sleep. To close your eyes... but they are already closed.
A gentle, deep, resonant voice pricks your mind. It says your name. Is that your name? It says it again.
"Atriox..."
It vibrates low in your body, in your soul, the first sensation you feel. That you ever felt.
It says your name again.
The pulsing colors grow. Beautifully. Calmly. Gently like the voice. Disembodied as it is, it is the most comforting thing you've ever felt. It overwhelms you, floods every scale and nerve with peace.
"One of my faithful..." Its breath is like a sigh. Somber and rich as the changing seasons. As life and death.
You feel your muscles twitch and move, though you float in this unknown space. Your mouth can suddenly part, as pleasing as it must have felt with the first breath you took from your hatchling egg.
Atriox baths in the multitude of feelings and thoughts going through him right now. He asks himself if he's dead or not and if so where is he ?
After the being says finishes talking to him Atriox is suddenly flooded with realization......the bright colors, the powerful presence, they make Atriox remember the stories he heard as a kid from his father and tutors
Tears roll down his cheeks as he trys to speak
"It's impossible.......Io......is that you.......Allfather ?"
You don't hear a response in your ears as much as you feel a burning in your chest, something bright and warm like the sun. A confirmation of your question. A resounding yes.
"Without darkness... there is no light." The words make your body vibrate as they speak. The light around you grows brighter.
But you feel, in the pit of your stomach... a knot. Looking down you see a glowing orb of darkness, like a dark stone. Lusterless. Absorbing the light. Around it is a red haze of vampiric energy... separate from it, but encircling it.
"Without trials..." Sounds and smells of war permeate your vision like ghosts. The smell of your home burning. The screams of your people. Your tears disturb the vision like stones thrown in water, erasing them. "...There can be no peace."
"Without sense of pain..." it whispers, "there is no sense of pleasure."
Your nerves begin to react, spreading through your body like needles. All the pain from your battle, your fall, your expended energy. The memories come back with every ounce of pain growing. It's almost too much to bear, but the light pulses and and it eases just slightly.
Atriox gasps from the experience and bows his head
" I am unworthy to be in your presence, to hear your words Allfather.........ask anything of me.....I am your servant. Now and always."
All the lights and colors swirl around you.... It is almost blinding. You can barely perceive it from behind your eyelids, but it begins to make up the faint shape of a great dragon's head.
"Live..." The voice begins to fade. "Live... and..."
You watch its mouth move as the pain overtakes you, but you can't make out the last two words... its too far now. It dissipates. You're sinking down below the colors, below the light. Down...
Down...
Down........
.....
Voices, singing, begin to break through the fog. You find it extremely difficult to move your body. Everything aches. All is darkness and flickering fire beyond your eyelids.
Peering out is painful. You see dark sky above you, splattered with stars in almost every inch of inky blackness. It reminds you of the light from your dream....
Shadows shoot across you, across the ground, cast from the bright, crackling fire.They flicker like dancing imps against the rocks and wagons surrounding you. Dangerous, excited, elated. You watch the creatures, difficult to make out against the bright light. Their song rings in your ears like chimes in the wind.
Twenty gnolls stood together gathered in a field.
A mighty fighter saw us there and dropped his magic shield!
A brilliant long sword in each hand, Plate mail shiny bright,
He confronted all the gnolls thinking slaughter, not a fight.
They all bark loudly as they continue in their rough, wild song.
This fighter is an impressive sight, some gnolls think to flee,
But the chief, in commanding tone, barks, "Gnolls, follow me!”
And so our score of gnolls charge towards our fearsome foe,
The fighter calculates his odds, and waits our blood to sow.
The fighter is certain of success, 'neath blade they all shall die.
But in an instant we are upon him, he goes down beneath the tide!
And thus the melee continues on until the fighter fell.
His mail still shining brightly, his swords still sharp as hell.
The dust did clear, all were well, a few nursed knicks and scrapes.
And in the end, we had a feast, With the fighter on our plates!
They cackle and gicker, laughing and cajoling with one another. They tumble and spin and dance again, the sing going on and on. It makes you dizzy.
Atriox groans and try's to sit up but barely even manages to lift his head before passing back out
****
You wake sometime later, a strange liquid being poured into your mouth. It soothes your burning throat. You didn't realize how thirsty you were until that moment, but the nourishment it gives you feels lacking... your body aches and craves fresh blood as it always tends to.
Your eyes focus and you see a furry faced creature quite like a feral dog staring down at you. Tan and speckled with dark spots, it grins a wide, toothy smile. Gold rings pierce its ears in several places and accent its golden eyes.
"You wake!" His voice is gravely but friendly.
"It wake! It wake!" Voices echo around you, hysterically laughing and bouncing about. Growling and yelping can be heard as a few other scrawnier ones tumble about, rough housing and biting one another.
Atriox groans at all the noise and trys to sit up so he can see whats going on
You find yourself surrounded by a small pack of wolf-like beasts, apparently called gnolls. Dressed in rather light and airy garb for comfort in the desert, they are rowdy and obnoxious as much as they are fierce looking.
The one who was watching over you steps back, eyeing you as you sit up. "You feeling better now? Mostly dead you were."
He sits, scratching the side of his face and under his chin with a clawed hand. "Saw the flame on the mountain. By time we got to you it was night, sure you not survive much longer otherwise. You had very little treasure in your pockets."
You find this statement odd and can't help but look yourself over. Your clothes have all been removed, replaced with clean, fresh linen. The coarse material isn't so much an issue except for the fact that none of your items are on your person.
You spot a few gnolls near a cart gawking at a basket full of things. One picks up what you instantly recognize as the map Etny gave you. The other picks up the scorched platinum from Tak.
Atriox trys to focus on the creature who is talking to him
"Well I don't feel dead. So I suppose that is a plus..........Say who are you if you don't mind me asking and may I have my things back ?"
"Irok," he says, thumping his chest. "Irok Claynose."
"You not dead 'cause we got these out." He picks up a bowl beside you full of sharp brittle rock, covered in bile, acid and your own blood.
You realize there are quite a few little tools scattered about, as well as your old bloody clothes.
"As for things.... Hmmmm...." he glances at the others, snickering and guffawing at one another.
One with a black muzzle has your bag on his head like the crown of a king, acting puffed up and proud. The other, a gnoll with a pale cream muzzle, howls with laughter and punches him in the stomach.
Atriox decides to ignore his belongings.....for now
He looks at the one he's talking to
"Irok did you say ? Well you and your people have my thanks. Indeed I was sure as I fell that was the end."
He chuckles quite like the others. "We thought so too, honestly. Saw the fire from a distance."
You realize they likely meant to scavenge you, but chose otherwise. "Irlgaunts.. horrid things.... Rocks digest you from the inside." He motions to the shards.
"And that fall... You must have had wings to survive, friend."
Atriox chuckles at that
"Something like that I suppose. Well whatever your intentions you have my thanks. So where do we go from here ? You seem freinds but what are your intentions if I may ask ?"
"Well..."
"Can we eat him now dad?!"
The two gnolls playing with your gear gicker excitedly. Irok rolls his eyes.
"That.... Was the original plan. To be completely honest." He shrugs and laughs.
"It's better to not pretend otherwise. But..." he tilts his head, the rings in his ears clinking together. "My daughter and brother thought you might be of some use to us... We have a problem."
Atriox turns his head to the side curiously
"I appreciate your honesty. We're both survivors I think. What is this problem exactly?"
He nods. "We came across a treasure... Near the base of the cliffs."
He points off in the distance, and you see they've brought you a few miles from where you fell.
"At least... Pieces." He scratches his cheek again, pulling out a few pieces of gold to show you. They are tarnished and sand blasted, but definitely ancient.
"We scavenge and sell in towns when need be. These help. But, if we try to go further in..."
"BOOM!"
The dad jumps as one of his sons lands next to you both, laughing his head off at startling him. His brother keels over laughing, falling from the wagon into the sand.
"Yes, well..." he kicks the boy with his foot and he just rolls away, laughing. "It's guarded apparently. My daughter and brother thought perhaps a dragonborn would help. So I did my best to assist."
There's a small cloud of sand spraying up in the distance and the two brothers yip and hop up in excitement. They rush off, transitioning between running on two feet to sprinting on all fours.
In moments you see two other gnolls making their way to meet you. They cojole with the boys for a moment and continue on, slowing back down to two feet as they near you.
"Pa, it's done." A leaner more mature looking female tosses a tarp at your feet, wrapped around a bundle of severed spiderlike legs--remains of the irlgaunt.
She smirks showing cruel teeth, her gold eyes flashing between you both. You see she sports gold rings around her arms and neck, a silvery back... And she has your glaive slung around her.... Broken and shorter than it used to be. It seems to fit her size though, all of the gnolls being quite a bit smaller than you.
Beside her is a bulkier gnoll, mostly black with streaks of gray. His crippled right hand rests on the hilt of a sword at his side, his left sporting dark claws both natural and metal alike.
"You are awake." The older fellow snorts. "Good, good."
Atriox looks at them all
"Your all very interesting if I might say so. I've never been to the desert so I'm lacking in knowledge of the area."
He looks at the newly arrived female and smiles
"I see your putting my glaive to good use. It appears to be somewhere shorter than I remember."
She snickers, pulling it down and swinging it around. "Seems like a fine size to me." Her tail wags a little in pride. The uncle clears his throat.
"We appreciate you taking down the irlgaunt... it's been plaguing that area recently and to be honest, we couldn't take it on ourselves. Its death came as a pleasant surprise."
The female sits by the wagon, stretching. "Now we just need to take on the beastly dragon, and we can see what it's guarding." She looks excited to go, glancing at Atriox. The two brothers have taken to sword fighting with the spider-like legs in the background.
Atrioxs scratches his chin
"Hmmmm dragon you say ? Well there's definitely treasure. I wonder if perhaps it's the same that I came looking for with my map."
"Map?" They say the word together, all looking at you.
The uncle goes over to the wagon. He finds the parchment discarded on the ground where the brothers dropped it. "Ah... How interesting."
He studies it as he walks back. "This is an old trail... Not anywhere close to where we found you, but..."
"Well even if it is, we found it first..." The female grumbles, picking her teeth with her claws. She is small but definitely looks dangerous in her own right.
Atriox laughs loudly
"Indeed you did though you had the advantage of knowing the area plus I was busy fighting a monster on my own. But before we get to hostilities lets be introduced first shall we ? I'm Prince Atriox of Arkhosia."
They all stare at you for a moment, before looking at each other and breaking out into a course of cackling laughter.
"Ahaha...! Well as you know I'm Irok Claynose. King, I suppose, of the Silvertail Pack." He smiles wide, wiping a tear from his eye. His boys fall over in a fit of giggles.
"This is my brother, Rark Deadclaw. Um... Duke." The more stern looking fellow nods with a snaggletoothed smirk.
The female pipes up. "I'm Kiz Bloodfoot... Those idiots are Gyzz and Gazz, my younger brothers."
"Princes!" The boys salute like play soldiers, but you can tell they're muscular, fast, and trained hunters. She groans and sinks against the cart.
Irok laughs. "My mate, Lurth, is foraging off with our youngest, Tut. Eight of us in all."
Atriox looks confused as to whats so funny
"I'm sorry please forgive my.......ignorance, but what's so funny ? And I figured you were the cheif"
Atriox gestures to the leader as he rises to stretch his sore body
"Life." He raises his paws, shrugging. "Life itself is funny. And then we die." The others laugh in a strange mirthful way.
"Also," he pauses, scratching his ear, "You are funny."
The uncle snorts. "Why would a prince be out on his own? Alone? Rock climbing, treasure hunting, sailing and splunking..."
Irok chuckles deeply and without guile. "You sound more like a pirate than a prince."
"As much as anyone is a prince or pauper..." The female shrugs, sharpening your old glaive.
The boys come over, playing with your horns and tail. "And lords we know are vile and vicious! No one likes them!"
"Shush, pups." Their dad waves his paw at them. "Yes, we are not pleased with rulers here, but you live longer with your traps shut than yammering on like that."
Atriox grunts and playfully growls to get the kids of him. He shoots some steam out of his nostrils at one
"Well ol cheif you have some good points except I'm not alone. I fought the monster alone to give my troops time to get away as they probably would have just died trying to fight that monster."
Atriox stretches his arms upward and then bends downward testing his mobility
"I am a Prince. But not like the kind your used to. I have an army to back it up and once we retake my castle it'll be done."
You feel a twinge in your gut where your wounds are still tender, but overall your body just feels sore and stiff as a board. A night in even a half-decent bed sounds heavenly.
The others look around at one another, no longer laughing. "I see," Irok looks thoughtful. "I assume your castle is not here? You said Arkoshia... Across the sea, correct?"
The female, Kiz, shrugs. "Prince or not, we just need you to come with us. We saved you, you repay us. That's fair is it not?"
The uncle pets her on the head, making her grumble. "We cannot face these... dragons, or whatever they are, on our own. We have tried. Perhaps we can come to some.... agreement. If there is indeed a treasure inside."
Kiz gickers. "Like not kill him?" Rark pushes her head down, growling at her. "No. We might be barbaric but we're not orcs."
"Thoughts?" Irok tilts his head, looking at you curiously.
Atriox thinks on it
"Fine I'll help you with the "dragons". As your daughter so......bluntly ....put it I owe you. After that we will see about an agreement."
Atriox winces as he turns a wrong way. He looks at them carefully
"I have a specific......diet...and I need healing and strength for whats to come. Do any of you have.......blood to offer ? Or is there something I can hunt ?"
Uncle Rark stiffens at that. "Are you a vampire?"
Atriox looks at the uncle carefully before flashing his red eyes by way of reply
"Dammit." He sighs, pulling out his sword and approaching with intent to kill.
"I really thought this would work out. Maybe the dragons will still like your head."
The others startle at this, scrambling back in surprise.
He stops in front of you, sword extended to your neck.
His smile grows.
Then he laughs loudly.
"Hahahaha.... Your face!! Priceless..."
The others laugh. He swings his sword around in a flourish. Obciously his humor is drier and darker than the others.
"As long as you don't eat us I have no qualm." Rark's smile remains but you easily see his eyes are cold steel. He is definitely serious.
He then slices his right arm open, blood squirting out. He nonchalantly walks over to the cart, licks his sword clean, and plops bis arm atop a makeshift hammered pot.
"Can't feel it." He smiles, squeezing it and making it squirt out like a hose at the boys. They roll on the sand laughing.
Atriox looks at him with an intense stare as his eyes grow red
"That was a dangerous game you played. Very dangerous."
"Life is funny like that." He repeats after his brother. He carries over the dish and hands it to you.
The blood is hot and gamey, and just a little sandy.
Atriox almost doesn’t want to but he knows he must do it anyway so he just simply says
“Bottoms up”
And then proceeds to chug the blood
"That's the spirit," he chuckles and claps you hard on the back. It almost makes you choke.
"You're quite a unique fellow, Prince Atriox..." Irok strokes his chin. The dawn starts creeping over the horizon like a watchful eye and he glances at it.
"Well... If that invigorates well enough, we could go into town... Sell off some of this scrap, get you some gear. Go after dragons." He smirks. "What say you?"
Atriox feels the blood sink in and invigorate him. Once the feeling passes he looks at them with a raised eyebrow
“What are you calling junk ?”
"Not junk," he chuckles. "Scrap." The chief walks over to the cart with a grunt, holding up your mashed armor plating.
"We've also scavenged several raids east of here. Orcs leave as much as they take." He knocks around other metallic items in the back half heartedly.
Atriox grunts
“Fine buts first I want my property back. The coin, the rings, my bag.”
Atriox holds out an expectant hand
Irok shrugs. "Fine with me. Boys?"
The two groan and whine, dragging over the items and dumping them near you. "I gueeeeeeess...." the dark nosed one grudgingly drops the platinum back in your hand.
Looking through your gear you find it all there, though a bit more worn and dirty than before.
Atriox grunts In amusement as he wasn’t really asking but he’s glad he has everything back
“Well then shall we be off ?”
They all yip in agreement. Repacking your bag, you follow their little wagon and cart off to the south. Along the way some of them begin singing other strange songs, always with a sort of morbid twist.
After an hour or so you crest a road and see a shimmering blue light in the distance. Kiz, helping pull the cart, motions at it as you walk nearby.
"The City of Whistling Glass. There used to be Thri-Keen tunnels there, insect beasts. Legend has it a blue dragon electrified their lair for offending her." She smirks, shrugging.
"When she dragged out the remains, it looked like limbs of a great glass tree. The town now sits in its "shade"... my mother and brother are likely there already working. And my grandpa..." She chuckles. You realize Irok didn't mention his name yet.
Atriox chuckles
“This place just gets more and more intriguing. How do you like living here Kiz ?”
"Living here... Strange concept." She sniffs the air, likely picking up the smells of the cooking carts further ahead.
"We roam. Always have, always will. Our pack is our home... We've been many places in the Komodori already. Friendly areas are harder and harder to find, which is... unfortunate."
Atriox nods his head looking around and thinking
“What little I do know of it sounds very......chaotic to say the least. I’m very close to someone from here but she doesn’t talk much about it.”
"Oh?" Kiz raises an eyebrow. "It is a strange place... It changes. The sands move as much as we do."
She grunts, adjusting the cart behind her. "Is this friend of yours a gnoll like us?"
Atriox smiles and shakes his head
“Unfortunately no. She doesn’t have near a good enough sense of humor to be one of you. You are the first of your kind I’ve ever met. My friend is an orc.”
Kiz almost trips but catches herself again. She looks at you like you're crazy.
"I see... It's interesting here with the orcs. The clans have been at war for centuries." Her silvery tail swishes back and forth as she thinks. "Now with the mages, which doesn't change much. Small towns don't typically have a chance with raids. Orcs here are fierce and unforgiving."
Atriox just simply looks ahead and says
“So is life. We must all find our way amidst the chaos.”
The gnoll smirks at you. "That's sensible thinking coming from someone so highly born. Chaos breeds courage as they say."
You hear a strange sound in the air which only becomes more noticeable as you come closer. As the desert breeze reaches the glass trunk, it makes a dull, magical whistle. Its both melodic and haunting, and makes your soul ache.
Townspeople hang strange orb lanterns all over the branches, wherever reflected light from the sun shines in. Each lantern seems to be holding the light inside small batteries.
Atriox try’s to focus on answering her
“I may have been born high......but I lost everything when I was just a cub. I have survived because of my own strength and hard work. I understand you and your kin more than you think. Only recently have I achieved the means to even think about ascending again.....”
Atriox trails off as he looks around
Kiz looks thoughtful at those words. You approach works and she is more... quiet than usual.
Around the base of the tree you find stalls of various colors and shapes, including an area where street performers practice. A gnoll with light speckled hide and rather filled-in physique dances merrily about.
Playing small, clicking instruments that jangle with bracelets on her wrists and ankles, she is more than enveloped in a song. A small pup circles nearby, bearing puppy eyes at passers by who drop coin into a small bucket.
Atriox grunts and points
“I assume that is your mother and youngest brother then ?”
Kiz grins. "It is. And there's grandfather Zan" He sits nearby looking old and grizzled with gray all through his fur. Partially deaf and blind, he jangles a jar full of bones in one hand.
"He works as a seer in the town. Some believe, some don't. It comes down to who is willing to pay."
Atriox watches the mom dance a little bit and looks at the grandfather
“Curiouser and curiouser. But it’s a smart way to make some money I suppose. So now what ?”
"The show starts." She snickers.
As the carts come in and park next to mother, the brothers leap in among the bits and bobs, popping back out in ridiculous outfits and armor scrap. One looks a mismash of orcish war gear, splattered with paint or blood. The other, in some strange mage attire; perhaps something akin to the assistants aboard the Mage Guard's ship when they visited Dragonshore.
They begin to act out a silly mock battle; quite the performers it's easy to see. It's incredibly over the top, but brings the crowds around roaring with laughter. This town is definitely one of the more neutral ones, or at least, the normal citizens don't care for the war much at all.
Kiz just shrugs, twirling your glaive about. She snickers, patting the handle. "I take after my mother. This will come in handy." Pointing toward the others she says, "Go with my pa and uncle, they will find you what you need. They know the right places to go."
Irok smiles a toothy grin and gestures for you to follow him. He carries a large bundle on his back, as does Rark.
It feels surreal traveling with these small gnolls through the middle of this bustling market, hearing languages you've never heard before, smells and sounds you've never experienced, beneath the arms of a brilliant glass tree... Colors flash all across the ground in ribbons of light reminding you of your dream.
You follow them for some time, stopping at places along the way. Most stalls are just rugs on the ground, tarps pinned up above them to protect from the bright lights. Irok and Rark sell off scrap metal. The only parts of your armor that were really salvageable were few, but did include the skull bones of Tyranus.
Irok handles most of the talking, a strange form of common you're not familiar with. Rark sells off the large irlgaunt legs and carapace, along with several pints of liquid acid from it. It looks like they salvaged everything that the worms did not eat.
After a bit, Irok approaches you with a bundle of red fabric. He's grinning ear to ear.
"Atriox," he gestures for you to bend down. "Armor here is hard to come by. At least like what you had... but, no need you getting burned out in the sun."
He loops the fabric around your neck and over your shoulders, some type of desert tunic. It's a brilliant, rich crimson red made of very fine material. A lighter piece hangs over your head and down your back like a hood, trimmed with gold thread.
"Irlgaunts aren't common... and worth a good coin." Rark grunts. He thrusts a weapon into your hand, a large, steel blade that widens and curves at the end. Down the flat edge are decorative rings of brass that match the handle and crossguard; it's a beautiful piece, and deadly sharp.
"Fair is fair. You killed it. You get the coin's worth out of it." He gives you a look as if reminding you of the strange altercation earlier about your vampirism. Then he smirks.
Atriox grunts handling his new weapon with care testing the balance
“Time and time again you and your family keep surprising me. Your all decent folk and I appreciate that. After this is done we’ll see where fate leaves us all.”
Atriox steps back and gives his sword a few practice swings
"Surprises are what we're good at." Irok nudges his older brother who just rolls his eyes.
You're almost certain Rark got you a sword because that's what he was familiar with. But the sword feels fantastic in your hands. It's interesting wielding such a different kind of weapon; your glaive served you for quite a long time.
You head back over to the others, spotting Kiz expertly spinning your weapon around her in almost dangerous ways. She moves so quickly it's hard to follow sometimes. The brothers take bows from their cart, quite a sum of money earned from their ridiculous behavior.
As you walk by the seer Zan he reaches out and pulls at your new cloth, urging you to slow your pace. Looking up at you with rather dull, blind eyes he smiles.
"Care for a look into the future?" His voice is raspy but calming. Irok shakes his head and continues onward to the others, paying him no mind.
Atriox looks at him before nodding in respect
“Hello old one. And why would I do that when the future is constantly in motion ? Anything you tell me could easily change. No offense against your abilities meant.”
His smile grows, many teeth missing. "All too true, my young prince... Too true indeed."
As you continue on, Irok chuckles waiting for you. He obviously overheard. "Good response... Exactly how I feel. Course not so eloquently worded..."
Atriox chuckles
“He seems......I want to say kind enough.......but using the word kind doesn’t seem....right ?”
Atriox chuckles some more
“Now then I’m ready to do this whenever you and you’re family are. I sadly cannot be gone to long lest my people leave without me truly thinking me dead.”
Atriox flourishes his sword in a spin to make his point with a wide smile
****
(speaking of which............good place for a scene skip!)
The small ship arrives back in Freetown harbor, roughly bumping the dock on approach. An axebeak jumps free and clear, followed by the quiet scuttling of kobold claws. They all look silent and shell shocked... Except for Tak, who'd spent the journey drinking half his weight in spiked apple cider.
Sheila's ecstatic approach with her men stops short as she sees their faces. Looking around and taking everything in, she quiets and removes her hat. She approaches Darr.
"Tell me what happened."
****
Tak makes his way aboard the Annabel and heads straight for Atriox's room; almost as if he hoped beyond hope everything was a horrid dream and his brother was resting there. But only Kora answered the door, red eyed and sour. The small drunken kobold almost wished for death at that point, and despite her deadly glare sank to the floor like an offering. Her expression changed in an instant.
****
Vele looked up from her book the second she heard the sound of his claws on the stairs, nervously excited for Tak's return. But seeing her comrade drunken and miserable made her leap up to steady him. "Wh-what? Tak, what's wrong!?"
Sinking to her feet, he breaks down in sobs of crocodile tears. He retells the entirety of their journey. The argument. The scene after he returned to the plateau. She listens in stunned silence.
"W-we spent all night trying to get down to the desert floor. T-trying to recover..." He can't seem to finish the sentence. "But so little was left. We couldn't even find him, all the... the scavengers... the insects..."
"...Atriox put you in charge." Tak swallows, shame and guilt shackling him. Vele's eyes widen in distress. "Atriox wanted you to instruct us... He trusted you more than any."
****
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