Fantasy A Nation In Havoc (2.0)

[TheCountryWarrior]

“And I am Armandio.” Armandio mentioned his name as they picked up the pace. It was only when Decius started roaming around looking for some sort of direction that he noticed his friend and the party’s resident murder man was acting... strange.

Also he radiated evaporated blood and that’s not normal, which was a bit of a tip off that’s something was wrong. He said nothing and followed the trail, still clutching his chest as blood trickled down his body.

Following the trail eventually led to the unconscious body of an Elf, dressed in leather designed to blend into the land. But she was rather conspicuous just laying on the floor. The quiver in her back gave notice that this may very well be the archer Raimi must have fought.

The blood trail continues past her.

Armandio glanced at her. “Do we kill her too? Probably a stupid question.”

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel was at first confused to why his companion, Decius, had took of in a direction completely deviant of their path. As Sam kept pace behind him, however, he spotted the irregular splotches of blood that dotted the new direction Decius had taken. The amount of blood patches became increasingly common as they hounded the path, and Samuel began to wonder if someone who shed so much blood would've even survived.

Alas, the trail led them to an elven huntress - bandit, most likely - yet it seemed someone had already done their job for them. Armandilo spoke up, to which Samuel retorted "Well, obviously - but maybe later. I'm betting this one could help us find Raimi if we ask real nice." Taking up a fallen branch, Samuel began prodding the elf's body, keeping a relatively safe distance himself. The blood trail continued past the elf, but Samuel didn't trust it would reliably lead to Raimi. If they could get the elf to track for them, the chances of success would be raised considerably.

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia let a irritated "tsk-" slip. Furrowing her brow and placing her hands on her hips. It's true that most of her other companions would rather just send the boy on his way. After all he did say it would be fine if they did. However it was blatantly clear that that Nia was the most charitable and forgiving member of their group. Simply due to not having a limited supply. Normally Nia always had an excess, both in power and wealth in the castle. She always took pity on the servants. She gave them breaks, often just doing tasks herself- much to her father's disapproval.

But in this situation, she couldn't be as charitable as she once was. However, doing this went against her personal code. She sighed and looked at her feet. "I'm not sure what we could give you. While I wish I could my... comrades may not be inclined to do so. We'll just have to wait for their return." She cleared her throat. "Where are you from?"
TheCountryWarrior Randomfella augmentedspartan

 

[The_Omega_Effect]

As they continued on the blood trail, they came across the body of an elven woman who was the one Raimi has battled in the camp. He was surprised to see that she was still alive for a second. But before any rational thought came into play, his hand wielding the axe seemed to go up on its own accord, only for the massive weapon to be brought down on to the elf's head. It was less of a cut and more of a pulverising crush that left behind nothing but a bloody mush containing a few scattered bones. Decius' own mind was finally starting to kick in. He was confused as to why he acted that way. But there was not a doubt in his mind that this was because of the axe. He was determined to not allow it to take control again.

He raised his axe which was once again unnaturally clean, and continued the trail of blood that went past the elven woman. Although the trail grew weaker, Decius' heightened awareness of it due to the axe, allowed him to follow it without much trouble. After some more walking, they came across what appeared to be a corpse. It was the body of a woman and it was where the blood trail ended. Walking to her, Decius turned her head around to see her face. It was Raimi and she looked dead. Decius gasped for a second and quickly place his fingers on the side of her neck in order to check whether she was alive. His heartbeat quickened as he struggled to find her pulse some searching. However, a wave of relief washed over him as he detected one. He placed his axe over his back, exhaled and then lifted her up, turning to the others. "It is Raimi. She is heavily injured. We have to get her some treatment quickly. Lets go back."

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Armandio breathed a sigh of relief that she was alive, while still worried about how long she’d stay that way. “Maybe the old man will help us. He’ll have too if he wants to stay with us. We’re hiz best bet for survival, he probably won’t want to anger us. More than he does.” He began making his way in the supposed direction their camp was.

The boy brightened a little, looking at her with a tad less nervousness. “I’m from Quinabad. It’s a border town off of Fenwood. I haven’t introduced myself I just realized. I’m Gavin. Gavin Dartmon. What’s your name, if I may ask?”

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel careened backward as Decius' axe soared past him and split the huntress into two bloody chunks. He brushed the resulting splatter from the hem of his waistcoat with mild irritation; getting bloodstains out of fabric was a real bitch, and it seemed every encounter with these fiends ended up with parts of them decorating his attire - conscious or not.

It appeared the need for the huntress as a hostage was redundant, since Decius managed to keep scouring ahead even with the ever-thinning blood trail. When they came across the girl, Samuel huffed his sigh of relief in unison with the others when Decius revealed her as Raimi. He nodded in agreement with Arandilo's plan - if there was someone back at their camp who could help, it didn't seem unreasonable they could save Raimi. "Gotta admit though," Samuel whisked his eyes along the treeline. "Would've thought those bandits would have put up a bit more of a fight before we wiped them all out. Guess we showed them, huh?"

 

[Randomfella]

"Don't you worry about that." Jenny interrupted, glaring toward the dagger he clutched tightly. This all still seemed like a trap, and while Jenny was no mastermind of combat, it was obvious that the only warriors that were with them were now gone, and who knew if they would even return. The boy might not even be in on it, bandits could have easily used him to bait out the girl who no doubt had a massive bounty on her head. While Jen wasn't always the type to jump to such rash conclusions, considering what had happened just hours ago, she was not stupid enough to trust the situation, not that she'd likely trust a half-elf on face value regardless.

Jenny sat atop the cart once more, resting her arms on the butt of her crossbow as it lent on the ground below. Her eyes drifted for a short moment to the old man going to nap, before back toward the boy and the princess. Judging by the books, he had some idea of patching wounds, a lot of good he seemed to put that to. "If only I didn't have this..." She began to think, before needing clench toward her wounded side once more. If they were attacked now, their odds weren't great, though she was not without a few plans.

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

The sorceress tip-toed as quickly as she dared through the dense forest, careful not to step too heavily in any patches of mud lest she ruin her expensive boots. Focused as she was not to run into anything on the ground, however, she did not notice what was directly in front of her; several low hanging branches managed to smack her in the face from above as she clumsily stumbled by. That wasn't the end of her woes. Bushes and brambles scratched incessantly at her legs the entire trip and the sound of insects and wildlife shuffling in the distance just outside her view sent shivers up her spine. As ever, it was abundantly clear to her that an elegant socialite like herself was not built for traipsing through the jungle like a cave-woman. Honestly, which of those moronic elven gods decided it was a good idea to put all these trees in one place?! Moreover, what had ever possessed her to stay out here with those idiotic bandits in the first place? Money, of course. And power, can't forget that, either, she thought ruefully in answer to her own question. They were a stepping stone, a necessary obstacle on her path to claiming her rightful place as an influential and wealthy noblewoman. They were dead now, though, and Kruziik the wizard reigned supreme from the castle in Dalania, and that meant her time to shine was at hand. All she needed was to find this boy and take the power he possessed and all her dreams would come true. Yes, the fruition of all she had worked and sacrificed for was but a stone's throw away now, and she wouldn't let this blasted forest defeat her when she was so close she could taste it.

This thought alone drove her onward despite her disgust with her surroundings. She clambered forward slowly and awkwardly, stopping periodically to cast her location spell to check that she was still headed in the right direction. After some time, she found her target. Ah, there you are, you beautiful boy, she thought with elation. He was standing in a dark clearing, looking around anxiously, clutching a knife in his hand as if it would protect him from her. He would soon learn just how wrong he was, she had no doubts about that. The bag with the all important book and wand was also in his possession; that was good. She had all she needed and could perform the ritual right here, once she took care of these other fools. Besides him, the clearing also contained a tiny halfling woman who looked positively dreadful, hunched and bruised all over as if trampled by a horse. Poor thing, in all that pain, thought the mage with malicious false sympathy. I'll have to put her out of her misery. Lastly, there was a warmly dressed red-haired girl speaking to the boy with a sympathetic look on her face. The girl and boy were speaking quietly while the halfling watched both with a suspicious eye from a safe distance on top of a relatively large cart covered with a big tarp and-

Wait a minute. Red hair? The mage did an astonished double take and refocused her attention on the girl speaking with her target. It was cut shorter than before and she was trying to conceal it with that hood, but threads of unmistakably red hair stuck out from beneath her coat. It wasn't a deep, dark auburn like the mage's own locks, but a bright, fiery red. There was only one family with hair that color, she thought with glee. The mage looked like the cat that ate the canary as a wide, malevolent grin split her pretty face in two. This called for a change of plans. Heedless of the danger, she gathered her power in preparation to cast a spell and stepped into the clearing to make herself known.

“You've been very naughty, little boy! Do you have any idea how worried I was? What if you had tripped and fell and cracked your cute little head open on a rock?! I was going to be very cross with you after I killed your friends...” She raised her jeweled staff and cast her spell. The earth beneath the cart began rumbling ominously, causing it to shift and tremble violently before tipping over and spilling its contents all over the clearing, occupants included. The halfling and an older man came tumbling pitifully to the ground along with numerous crossbows, boxes, books, and bags. Well, that was a pleasant surprise. The mage hadn't even noticed the old man in there, what with all the excitement about the princess. Oh, well, she thought happily. The more the merrier! Before the old-timer and the halfling could recover their bearings, the ground beneath her two unwitting victims changed consistency in an impossible way, turning first from hard, solid earth into a muddy slur and then shifting further until eventually it became as viscous as water. The halfling and the old man sank like stones and were forced to swim as if treading water in an icy, brown lake. When they were in it up to their necks, the earth became solid again, leaving their limbs immobile and only their heads free of obstruction. They were now two bewildered heads among an earthen sea of half-buried, miscellaneous odds and ends that had fallen in the "lake" at the same time they had.

“It's alright, though, darling," the mage continued to Gavin, "I forgive you! After all, you found momma such a wonderful present! The princess of Dalania! Why, that's the most wonderful gift anyone could've given me! I'll take the both of you. You, my sweet little boy, will grant me immeasurable magic power and when I present her royal highness to Lord Kruziik...why, he'll be so enraptured with me that he'll propose marriage on the spot!” She stood for a moment with stars in her eyes, fantasizing about the power and wealth she would possess as the Queen of Dalania. There would be beautiful gowns and she'd have devoted handmaidens to lovingly brush her hair and her very own handsome manservants catering to her every whim and...oh, but no time to think about that now, silly! She grudgingly forced her attention back to the present. “Now, come along, children, and no weapons! Come with me quietly, like good, well-behaved little boys and girls. If either of you throws a tantrum, my staff hand might slip and that poor halfling and her elderly friend would be crushed flat as pancakes! We wouldn't want that, now, would we, dears?” She flashed Nia and Gavin a beautiful, matronly smile at odds with the lethal threat she'd just made so casually and beckoned them to come closer.

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia was speechless and powerless as she watched her friends get captured by the very Earth itself. The attacker made her position very clear. 'can today get any worse?...' the young heir asked herself mentally as she placed her hand onto her sheathed sword, gripping it with a white-knuckle grip. She gritted her teeth and glared at the female mage. "Who in gods name are you, and why would I go with you?" she questioned "Kru-shit would just kill me." she spoke his name venomously, he mere mentioning of his name set Nia off. She let out a deep breath through her nose, looking between her friends and the witch. "If you let my friends go, I'll come with you..." Her hands were shaking and knees felt weak. There was also an immense pressure on her heart. Her decisions could be the difference between life and death. Both her friends lives and her own were in clear jeopardy. Her eyes glanced to the forest, praying that the ones who left would soon return.

TheCountryWarrior Randomfella augmentedspartan

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

The Mage glared at her. “That’s the point princess. But I suppose I’ll happily take your offer if you’ll just put down you weapon, sheathed as it is, and walk slowly towards m-“ her words are cut off as vines fly out of the ground around Ambrose and Jenny, loosening the soil around them, allowing them escape if they tried hard enough. The grass sprung up and grabbed the Mages staff, forcing it to the ground and out of her hand.

The Mage looked at the boy, who holds out his wand with shivering hands. “Nia,” the boy said, “do something, kill her or... do a thing!”

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia wasted no time in drawing forth her blade, rushing towards the mage. Again, her emerald colored eyes glowed faintly. Once close enough she dipped her blade down and into the fresh snow and brought it back up, causing a small cloud of snow to fly into The Mage's face. In the same upward motion Nia moved to place the point of her blade to the Mage's throat.

In truth, Nia was afraid of even the concept of killing another human. This Mage was awfully close to making her do the unthinkable...
TheCountryWarrior Randomfella augmentedspartan

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

The Mage glared at her, her eyes squinted as the snow melted on her face and fell into her eyes. “You won’t kill me. I can see it in your eyes. That’s why this is easy. You’ll let me go and I’ll take care of the boy there.”

As she speaks the vines that sprouted around Ambrose and Jenny continue to move around, loosening the soil. Gavin stares at the Mage, his mind in a thousand places, and the grass on the ground grows at an impossible rate, springing from the snow, wrapping around her legs and crawling up her body. Gavin stares at her with fear and hatred burning in his eyes. “Miss Nia... do something... or I’m scared that I will.”

 

[Kisaki]

Lilian

Today was the first day of the Festival of Woods or Elf New Years Eve in the words of a foreigner. Lilian was choosen this year to be one of the organizer of the festival. It was the first time she took on such a big responsibility. Though, her parents worried that their airhead of a daughter wouldn't be able to do the job correctly. Luckily, Lilian's work as a organizer is starting off well. " Check, check, and check. All venders are verified, fireworks are in place, and food is being prepped as of now. " Lilian said to herself as she walked down the plaza where the temporary shops were being placed up. The elf girl decided to stop and watch the old and young elfs place up the decorations. " I need a break. Maybe I'll have some tea and chat before checking up on everyone elsw. Yes, yes, that's exactly what I'll do. " The girl yawned.

augmentedspartan

 

[Duke of Doge]

"I..." she stood as still as a statue. Both her heart and mind were now racing at incredible speeds. The young scion grit her teeth. The Mage was right. She didn't have in in her to kill. Not yet. Instead, Nia kept her blade where it was. Applying a small amount of force as Nia walked to her left towards the staff on the ground to kicked it away. With Nia now on The Mages flank a wave of realization came over her. Swallowing and standing up straight the girl regained her composure. "You have committed crimes against Dalania. As ruling Queen I hereby find you guilty of the following. Two accounts of assault, attempted kidnapping, cooperation with a known enemy of the state, and attempted regicide. You are hereby-" she took a deep breath, pressing further with her sword, drawing blood. "Branded as a traitor to Dalania and her people, and sentenced to be executed. May The Gods have mercy on your soul. I'll try to make it quick. " She closed her eyes then with two quick motions she cut through The Mages throat. Windpipe, vocal cords, jugular. All of it in one motion.
TheCountryWarrior Randomfella augmentedspartan
(Pardon my flare for the dramatics. It just happened and I don't want to change it now.)

 

[augmentedspartan]

Ambrose didn't know whether his discomfort came from his sore bones or from the hardness of the wood, but he had somehow managed to fall asleep in the mess of boxes and books. Not that it did much good because his beauty sleep was quickly interrupted by the cart deciding to revel against him. This terrible betrayal was followed by the ground itself refusing to follow common sense and deciding that today was a good day to just generally fuck his shit up. By the time he was able to let loose some colorful words, his head was the only thing sticking from the ground. He knew some people called the elderly 'vegetables', but this was going a bit too far. He looked around and saw that he wasn't the only one in this situation, the halfling seemed to be in the same predicament. The Princess seemed to have gotten a pass from the earthly prison, although she was too busy facing some pompous looking woman. Oh, and there was some random kid who he couldn't decide was on their side, against them, or just there to be a general nuisance. Either way, his mind was clear enough to know what the hell had happened. He could smell it, the smell of bullshit magic.

Trying to get a better idea of what exactly was going on, and who he should shit talk to, he listened to the exchange between the mage and the Princess, not liking his chances of survival. Before he could throw out what was becoming his favorite trump card, more magic happened and they were suddenly free. Perhaps this might give him a better outlook towards magic, but then again, that was the reason why he was being eaten by the floor in the first place, so the score on magic was still firmly planted on 'fuck off'. He didn't manage to do much before he was greeted by the biggest surprise yet, the Princess nearly decapitating the mage. He didn't know whether to be impressed that she managed to do something productive, or be disgusted at how said productivity was in the form of violence. Considering that he was still in one piece and not a makeshift earthworm, he supposed he might as well focus on the positive.

"Good job on the whole murder thing, Princess," he said, getting closer to inspect the body. Yup, looked pretty dead. "But what the shit is going on?"

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Randomfella

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Esen sat at the table at one of the few taverns that were open at this time. Although 'sat' wasn't the best way to describe it, more like she slumped against the table in resignation. The place was filled with people going around setting up for the festival, and she was already feeling overwhelmed. She didn't want to think how packed it would get once the gig actually started, and would much rather wait it out outside the city. Camp for the night, maybe hunt some wild animal and make a barbecue, good stuff like that. But nope, she had told Lilian that she would help her with the whole shebang, so she had to suck it up for the time being. She hadn't asked her to do anything yet, although she wasn't sure if that was because she wasn't needed or if she forgot about her while supervising the whole operation. She could have gotten up and asked if she needed anything specific done, but she didn't really want to bother her and she seemed to have things under control, so she just kept nursing her drink and fantasizing about a big steak. In-between the flashing images of her daydream, she noticed that Lilian had stopped close-by.

"Everything good?" Esen called out, her face still gracefully glued to the table.

Kisaki

 

[Kisaki]

Lilian turned her head at the sound of a familiar voice. "Esen!" She exclaimed with a soft smile."Yep! Everything is going well." Lilian ran toward Esen and sat beside her." It seems that the festival preprations should be done in a hour or so," She stated while getting comfortable in the tight space. She was thankful that everyone was putting in their work to prepare for the festival. Lilian tapped her fingers against the wooden table as she looked toward her friend. She had forgotten that Esen offered to help with the preparations. " Oh spirits! You must be bored. I haven't given you any task to occupy yourself...well there isn't much do anyway." The elf sighed slightly. She then shook her head and clamped her hands together. " Nevermind that! Anything on your mind?" Lilian asked.

augmentedspartan

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

The Mage rolled her eyes and her mouth curled into a smug smile. She didn’t expect Nia to actually hurt her, much less kill her. And then she felt the blade slice through her neck. Her smile slowly faltered, her hand reaching up to her throat as she sank to her knees. Her eyes grew wide as she stared up at the no longer prissy princess, her eyes filled with the terror of mortality that has been forced upon her by this once innocent girl. Her body slumped over at the princess’ feet. Her eyes stared ahead as her breathing slowed. And soon her chest was still, her dead eyes stared at nothing, her clothes matted with her blood as it spread in the white snow, staining it.

Gavin looked ahead and sank to his knees, the stick, now probably recognizable as a wand to those in the loop, drooping with the rest of him. “Th-that couldn’t have gone any other way... right?”

Duke of Doge augmentedspartan Randomfella

 

[Duke of Doge]

Nia took a few steps away. Her face was neutral and unreadable. She looked down to the sword in her hands. The red blood staining the last couple inches on the black metal. Red on Black... the colors on Dalania's flag. Perhaps there would be some kind of clever metaphor to be made here if I was more clever. Nia simply blinked, reflecting on what she just did. "It was so easy to do... just one move..." 'I guess life is fragile like that' she looked down at her feet, arms falling to her sides. 'I had too... she wasn't giving me a choice... it was her or me. Right? Yeah. I was just saving myself' she dropped to her knees and looked up to the sky. Her sword fell from her hand. She closed her eyes, clasped her hands together, and started to pray. Tears trailed down her cheeks as she prayed for forgiveness. Forgiveness from The Gods, from her Father, her Mother, her ancestors. She did this for a few moments before dropping her hands and placing her gaze onto her knees. "I'm sorry..." The words were a whisper on the wind, and carried with them the immense guilt Nia now had on her conscious.

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Gavin watched as she fell to her knees, and bowed his head. He shook his head and stood up, and held his wand out to Jenny who was still trapped. The vines wriggled, loosening the soil further, and wrapped around her arms, pulling her out. Now that she is as safe he oooked at the old man.

“Bandits... your archer friend freed me from a group of bandits and told me to run here. The three... well the ones that seemed well versed in death went to fetch her. This one must have followed me. I-I cannot express my apologies enough for putting you all in danger... I’ll wait til the archer is back to make sure she is safe and I will be on my way.”

Duke of Doge augmentedspartan Randomfella

 

[augmentedspartan]

Ambrose let the Princess dwell on her self-pity. He wasn't any good at dealing with people in that condition, so he instead turned his sights to the boy. "Yeah, sure, whatever," he responded to his apology. "What did you do to piss them off in the first place?" If the kid had managed to anger some random group of violent buffoons, there was the chance he would bring more trouble to them, intentionally or not. He eyed the stick that he was carrying, a wand or something of the such, and eyed the kid more closely. He looked like trouble.

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior Randomfella

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Esen waved her worries away. "I'm good, don't worry." She wasn't particularly bored, but would still rather be doing something else. Preferably with less people around. Sadly she hadn't really gotten any interesting jobs as of lately, so she didn't have that as an excuse to skip the festival. Thankfully she wasn't hurting too much with money, she didn't really want to start taking lousy pest jobs again. She didn't know where the wolves that were eating farmers animals came from, and she wasn't interested in finding out first hand either. "Mmmm, lunch, mainly," she answered her last question.

Kisaki

 

[Caffeine Freak]

Samuel crossed the treeline to the camp's clearing, concluding his story that he had began talking at his companions. "-so anyway, that's how I got my tonsils removed twice." His stride came to an abrupt pause as he turned his head to the camp's population, as well as the dead mage on the floor. The Davion was on her knees, blood soaking her hands, while the rest stood around as if they had just been in a conflict. It didn't really take much piecing together.

Sam's eyes turned on the boy. He didn't like bandits at the best of times, but if they were lugging around a kid who baited them in like worms on a hook, perhaps the effort it would take to keep him alive would be more than his life's worth.

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior The_Omega_Effect augmentedspartan Randomfella MagicPenguin

 

[Kisaki]

"Oh, alright. " Lilian said. Her eyes then shinned slightly after hearing that her friend was hungry."Maybe we should go to Tom's Bar. It's on the shady side of the village, but I heard they got really good food," She suggested. Her father warned her about not going there since the bar was filled with brutes and drunks. However, it was only place that was still serving people on the morning of the festival. Plus, she was curious about the place.
augmentedspartan

 

[augmentedspartan]

Oh boy, shady place, nothing could go wrong there. "Sounds good. Lead the way!" she said while standing up and grabbing her mug. She probably wasn't supposed to take it out of the inn, but she didn't want to waste the drink and she wasn't the kind of person to just chug down alcohol; she didn't handle it too well. The transition from what she supposed was the 'normal' part of town to the more shabby looking part was obvious due to the dwindling amount of decorations. Esen did notice the differences between the two areas, but wasn't particularly bothered about it. She doubted someone would try to mug them in the main street at daylight. Tom's Bar, although lazily named, didn't look too run down and judging by the noise coming from it, it had a rather sizable clientele.

"You have the weirdest tastes in restaurants," she said, pushing the door open. Just as she thought, the place had a respectable amount of customers, although most of them seemed in various sates of inebriation. Esen took a quick look around and sat at the closest table near the middle.

Kisaki

 

[Randomfella]

Loaded crossbow in hand, the halfling watched on. Perhaps it was her injuries, or she was simply too focused on the possible threat of the boy, yet somehow she did not notice the mage step into the clearing despite her alerted state. She did, however, hear the woman's monologue, though by then it was too late. Her reaction was hardly thought out, turning her body with the large crossbow toward the woman, finger on the trigger... Yet she did not act immediately. This was different to murderous goblins ravaging in streets, this was a human, perhaps not the most peaceful species, but not beyond redemption. So much blood had already been spilt... She was no killer.

She hardly had time to think however, as her body fell into a pool of what felt like mud, her finger hitting the trigger re-actively, though before the bolt could even fully leave the chamber, she was submerged, earth turning solid jamming the device, the end sticking out awkwardly with a mud-covered bolt sticking half-way out. "I really hate magic..." Was all that could come to her mind from the frustration of it all. Sure, she was no guard, but now all they had done would be for naught, the princess and a small child of unknown alliances forced to face against a powerful mage.

Jenny cursed her small halfling body as she attempted to free herself, it was no use, she barely had the strength to move a hand through what was becoming slurry, let alone her whole body. She could only listen on as Nia attempted to bargain with the mad woman. "Don't... Be... Stupid..." She attempted to call out, her breath short, high tone rasping as she continued to attempt to free herself. It was becoming easier, but her weaknesses were clearly showing, and the injuries she had sustained earlier did not help.

Eventually, she could move her arms. At first, the halfling attempted to pull herself free, but by now could hardly lift her own weight. Fingers scratching through the mud, trying to find solid ground, groaning in a squeak of discomfort, she gave up, hands starting to wift through the mud instead. Finally she had found what she was looking for, eyes looking up toward Nia as she started a monologue of her own, an act Jenny had no doubt the mage would take advantage of. Even if she didn't... Nia was so innocent, even if the mage did nothing, could the princess act? Defend herself, and those with her? The halfling could only pout at the thought of the girl being forced to do such a thing.

Regardless, she would not sit idly by, bringing a spark-rock toward the bag she had found, and attempting to throw it behind the mage. The trajectory was off, going off to the side slightly, hindered by the slosh she had to move her arm through, as well as her own fatigue. As the small bag let out a bright light, with little more than smoke and powder escaping, it was clear it was not the right one regardless. "Shit!" The halfling could only let out from under her breath, looking on at the unveiling scene... A scene of the 'small' girl, slicing through the throat of her foe, blood splattering toward the floor, followed soon after by the mage herself.

As she was finally able to free herself, with the help from the strange boy, even if it was by magic... Her mind could only dwell on Nia's actions. It had to be done, there was no doubt about that, but this was not like shooting a rabbit from afar, swords were so close... So personal... Jenny had no doubt Nia had watched as the life escaped from the mad wizard's faltering eyes. "Well... That was one way to do it..." She spoke up silently, still staring at the dead body, before looking straight forward toward the kneeling princess, with nothing but concern in her eyes. "Don't be." She responded to the girl's words calmly, placing her small hand upon Nia's shoulder. "You kept your word about not letting any more of your people die." She noted, softly rubbing the girl's shoulder, before removing her hand and turning to look over the cart, and all of her gadgets now covered in slosh. A great frown developed on her face as she fell to her knees. "It's going to take hours to clean out my babies..." She slightly cried out in a depressed tone, before dramatically falling on her face in defeat at the notion.

Duke of Doge TheCountryWarrior augmentedspartan

 

[TheCountryWarrior]

Gavin shrugged, shaking his head slowly. “I suppose I got close enough for them to find me and think of me as easy pickings. To avoid being robbed and killed I told them I was a rich merchants son, so that they would capture me instead of kill me. It worked, they made me send a letter to this non-existent merchant, and they held me there. They heard that something happened to Dalania, and the boss decided they would leave. And he so decided that I was dead weight and gave the Mage permission to use the absorbing ritual to pull my soul into her own power, and kill me. Your Archer friend, by some divine intervention from the spirits, found that camp, made a diversion, freed me and told me to find you, and went on to fight the bandits’ huntress single handedly.”

He stopped as he heard voices, one actually, from the strange man who showed up from the woods and offered assistance. His eyes widened as he stared at the limp, bloodied, body of his savior. “Oh spirits...”


Armandio walked next to Samuel, looking fairly confused. “I still can’t believe...” his voice trailed off as he looked the scene over. “Oh shit... that’s... oh. Well that’s unexpected.” He walked into the area and looked everyone over. “I hate to break up the party, but Raimi needs your help Doc. She’s hurt bad.”