Closed.

Dhea frowned, before moving forward to search the hut. Maybe there was something that could distract the beast outside, or even control it. Anything to stop it from killing them both.
“And to think this was going to be a normal afternoon...”
She shook her head at the idea.
 
Dhea looked around the corners of the hut. There were a few piles of ragged clothing all over the floor, presumably torn from the victim's bodies. A shadow fell across the doorway of the hut, just for a brief moment. There was a pile of bones at one corner as well, the bones were dry, clean and white, like they had been there for a while, or cleaned thoroughly.

- Search the clothing.
- Search the bones.
- Leave.
 
Dhea looked disgusted for a moment, before using her blade to sift through the clothes. She didn’t want to touch them too frequently, because she didn’t know what could be on them or what cleaned the bones and tore the victim’s clothes. She was going to be as throrough as possible.
 
Well, she did not find anything that would shed any light to the situation, but she found five gold pieces! Ruven was shifting his weight from foot to the other, anxious, though he did not comment. His green eyes scanned the small interior of the hut with caution.

There were no sounds on the outside. The statue-creature might have given up on them.

- Search the bones.
- Leave.
 
Dhea focused on his nervousness and she trusted his instincts. They hadn’t lead her astray, yet. She rose from the pile of clothes, before putting a hand on his lower back and giving him a concerned look. She was making sure he was okay, before casting a spell to sense danger.
Yes, it would use her energy, but it was better to be safe than sorry.
 
Her spell revealed that there was no one in the hut with them and it also did not warn her to any danger on the outside of the hut. Perhaps the statue monster had moved on. The bones were just as they were, humanoid, male and female, and smaller bones that belonged to children, all mixed up together. In one corner she could see some sort of a morbid bracelet made out of knuckle bones of various sizes strung together.

- Take it and leave.
- Just leave.
 
Dhea looked at bracelet and her lip curled in disgust. She wondered what depraved person would do such a thing, but then she remembered where she was.
Her eyes darkened and she went to leave the hut, not wanting to be around the stench of blood and death.
 
The bracelet might have been a magical item, but it was made in a very gruesome way.

The two of them stepped outside of the. The statue was back on its pedestal, looking quite inanimate.

The road ahead left the field, heading back between building once more. To the left, a short track lead away and Dhea could hear the distant sound of chanting. A squat building at the end of the track sat in a patch of neatly tilled field. She could make out the figures in birght orange robes working in the field outside.

- Approach the building.
- Follow the track to the left.
 
Dhea was an infinitely curious creature by nature. Anyone could see that. So, when she heard the chanting, her eyes went wide and she smiled wryly up at Ruven.
“Come on.”
And she headed down the path on the left, wanting to see what the chanting was for.
 
The main road led directly into one side of a large domed building. It was some kind of a sprawling covered market. Looking left and right Dhea could see several other roads entering the building through different archways.

Assassins_Creed_Damascus_Souk.jpg

A group of Orcs passed by the two, lively talking about something.

- Talk to the Orcs.
- Continue into the market.
- Turn back.
 
Dhea grinned, her eyes lighting up. She hadn’t been in such a vibrant place since the Festival, and it was quite an attractive sight. She wanted to talk to the Orcs, because they may be from the village she’d been to before, but what they were talking about was really none of her business.
So, she took Ruven’s hand in her own, as to not lose him, before heading further into the markets.
 
The market was a maze of alleys. Every inch of space was used for trade. It was filled with shops, stalls and piles of goods were set out on crates and barrels. Hawkers bellowed about their wares, each trying to shout down the next. People of all races and sizes milled about, but very few seemed to be actually buying anything.

As the two walked into the crown, they were soon swept away. Ruven kept his grip on Dhea's hand and it was good they did so, otherwise the crowd would separate them. There was a curiously large amount of merchants selling carpets, though some offered incense burners, lanterns and pottery. There were no blacksmiths, armour shops or food stalls, however.

They moved through the market, elbowing their way between shoppers and hawkers, to stand below the enormous dome of the market. Through the hubbub of passers by Dhea spotted an exit across the hall that led away to a street. Noise rolled like thunder around the roof of the market.

- Leave the market.
- Go further into the market.
- Turn back.
 
Dhea squinted through the crowd, trying to consider if continuing through the market was worth it. She decided that it there might be something of worth further in, maybe even more information about the city of Khare.
She continued forward.
 
They walked into the furthest end of the market. To Dhea's left, a man grabbed her sleeve. "You want to buy a carpet?" He asked. "Finest carpet this side of the Baklands. Made from real moths!" He grinned, showing yellowed teeth.

Behind the man was a towering stack, thirty or forty carpets high. Each one was grey and so dusty that they made Dhea want to sneeze. Behind them a fight had broken out and Ruven turned toward the hustle, taking a step forward, curiously examining the ramble.

- Go into the carpet shop.
- Walk out.
 
Dhea was not interested in carpets or the fight outside the store, but something within her told her to go into the store. As if...the owner wouldn’t be talking to her unless there was something of interest inside of the dusty store.
With a simple movement, she grabbed the back of Ruven’s shirt to pull him with her into the store.
 
The merchant moved to let them inside and then gave Dhea a knowing look. "I have a message for you, sorcerer." He said. "From an agent of Sindla. He said: Visit Lorag the scholar. You'll find him across the River at the edge of the Red Quarter. Keep your eyes closed." The man recited.

Ruven gave Dhea a confused look.

- Ask about Lorag.
- Ask about the North Gate.
- Ask about the agent.
 
Dhea recited the words a few more times,as to ingrain them into her head. She smiled, before thinking.
“Can you describe the agent for me?”
She had a fair idea of who it might be, but she wanted to be sure. She looked to Ruven, before noting his confused expression.
“Oh! Did you really think I wouldn’t get mixed up in something? I’ll explain later.”
 
"He looked like a type that would kill me if I stared at him for too long. So I didn't." The merchant answered.
"You have been associating with some strange people." Ruven commented.
"Yeah, well, your associate..." The merchant continued. "Was here some moments ago. Told me to tell you this specifically. So there it is."

- Ask about Lorag.
- Ask about the North Gate.
- Leave.
 
Last edited:
“I noticed.”
Dhea definitely knew who it was now. She sighed, before thinking for another moment.
“Is there anything you can tell me about the Red Quarter? Specifically a way to get there?”
She had a feeling she’d find out where this ‘Logar’ was when she got there.
 
"Over the bridge of course." The merchant pointed vaguely to the right. "Haven't been there myself, heard there are a lot of shady people around."

The eastern road from the market led to the Docks and the bridge to Red Quarter. However Dhea would have to pass through an elaborate maze of alleys and would reach the Docks at sundown. If she crossed the bridge that night, she would need to find accommodation in the eastern Khare or continue searching for Lorag through the night.

- Go east.
- Go back to Ellie's tavern.
 
Dhea inclined her head, trying to come up with a plan. She decided that they would get their things and go over the bridge, before finding accommodations in east Khare. It seemed like their best bet. She was also going to leave Yan behind, so that her magic was able to use.
“Thank you for your help.”
She walked out into the markets, before heading back towards Ellie’s tavern.
 
The two woke up in the same bed in the early morning, at Ellie's inn. It was time for Dhea to make some progress with her quest, otherwise she would be stuck in Khare for the remainder of her days.

As the sun broke over the rooftops of lower Khare, the city looked clean and bright, like a stone polished to a shine by a fast-flowing river. The effect lasted for one beautiful moment - and then the people of Khare started milling about, opening their windows to throw out their slop, shouting and cursing at each other as they did so.

--

On the Docks the market traders set up their stalls, fighting and threatening each other to get the spots closest to the ships. A few sly types, probably pickpockets, prowled the shadows between the stands. There were still many areas of Lowe Khare that Dhea did not explore, but she could not afford to waste more time in the slums. She needed to find Lorag, one of the Nobles, and he was in the richer part of the city. Hopefully he would have some clues about getting out of Khare, otherwise Dhea and Ruven would need to proceed on their own.

The bridge over the river still was not lowered. A grizzled old man arrived to unlock a small booth by it. Then he went inside, closing the doors behind him.

- Wait.
- Knock on the booth.
 
Dhea watched the booth for a moment, thinking on whether or not to knock on the booth. She didn’t know much about the bridge and when they lowered it, but she wasn’t going to nudge it along, not unless she had to.
 
Half an hour went by and nothing happened. The old man did not leave the booth. Ruven did not comment on it, he seemed to be enjoying watching the people pass through the Docks. The morning sunlight played on the river as minutes ticket away. This felt like one of the very few chances for resting ever since Dhea left Analand. It was difficult to imagine, but had in not been for the Archmage and the Birdmen, she would have never made this journey - never explored the world outside of the Shamutanti Wall, never met so many new people.

Suddenly, there was a flurry of movement from inside the booth, stirring her from her thoughts. The old man walked out and went to a contraption on the waterfront. He begun heaving and winding an ancient winch. It looked like quite hard work as he was trying to move the whole weight of the bridge single-handedly. Sweat beads rolled down his forehead and he heaved and puffed as he worked, but eventually the bridge clunked down into place.

Dhean and Ruven were free to cross the bridge over the river Jabaji, which ran like a slime trail through the centre of the city. They reached the banks of Upper Khare. The buildings here were not as grand as ones on the west side of the river, but they were in much better condition. Fewer people lived on this side, away from the fields and the Hills, but those who do were richer. They were also most like more dangerous. But, the North Gate was on this side and Dhea was bound to cross Upper Khare at some point.

There was a fountain on the first fork in the road. The path led to the north and to south. A few creatures roamed around the small crossroads.

- Go north.
- Go south.
- Ask someone for directions.
 
Dhea took out her map discreetly, consulting it for a moment. She could ask for directions, but she also didn’t want to interact to much with the citizens of Khare. She’d only been there for a few days, and already she’d experienced a number of unfavourable things. And her coin had been stolen.

So, when she looked at the best course, she went north. It seemed the better option.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top