Chapter 8 (Peyt) - Echoes of Deceit
The warmth of the dwindling fire slowly rouses my senses come the morning light. Our makeshift camp slowly awakens by the busy movement of the wind, sun, and birds around us. Even the strange creatures I have found myself in the company of begin moving almost as if instructed though no words have escaped anyone’s lips so far today. Survivor has begun rolling her bedroll, lost in thoughts I can’t quite grasp. Surprisingly Tiamus and Navirah have joined us around the smoldering fire. He sharpens his blades with an intensity that mirrors the darkness in his eyes and she is in the middle of warming a meal for the two of them. Saemon is still scouring the ledger for any last drop from its cup of secrets. Tinkerer is messing with a plethora of different toys and gadgets from his packs scouring over notes trying to discover something unknown. I’ve nestled myself near the fire’s warmth, curving my body into a large rock like a puzzle piece finding its place. No packing for me. I shoot up off the rock and with a big stretch of my arms and tail, grab my staff (which, again, is SUPER pretty by the way), and scurry over towards Survivor “Can I helps??”
She shakes her head: “Just finished, but thank you.” She stands up straight looking around the camp, Lisle sleeps rather comfortably for being a prisoner between the 3 sleeping guards. “We’re leaving gentlemen” Her voice pierces the morning, and the trio of guards spring to life as if electrified. Jolted awake, they begin packing their belongings as if they’ve been awake for half an hour in a flurry of scrambling.
The morning unfolds with a rather natural cadence, and our group gathers its collective determination for the day ahead. The long road which leads back to Evercast winds in between the trees like a slithery snake. While the others are focused on the tasks ahead, I’ve taken a more exciting approach to our walk, skipping along the trail next to Survivor. We travel for a few much boring hours before the cliff above Evercast comes into view, and nestled below, a few smoke pillars rise above house chimneys likely signifying lunch time.
The journey feels much shorter compared to yesterday. Approaching the edge of Evercast, we are approached from behind by a large cart stacked with barrels marked by large red roses. It’s pulled by 2 large oxen who easily overtake us, this two legged form unable to keep up with the pack animals. At the reins sits an elderly dwarf man with a long gray beard speaking harshly in a language I don’t quite understand. To another dwarf sitting beside him “E pa'n totu eh olai muy olai tainp ye at an, olait ula es mith nuss ematnon nho ait tittun lad!” Survivor stops for a moment, her face shocked with… rage? I feel her eyes shift slowly towards the cart. Something is off, something makes her uneasy. She slowly turns towards the cart and glares into it with a gaze that could light it on fire, her eyes darting around it fiercely. “Things every okay?” I ask her, placing a hand on her arm. It seems to knock her out of her trance and she returns to her stoic self, still with a wary eye watching it come by though not as destructive as before.
Nearly 5 feet from reaching us, Tinkerer responds to the cart in the same language “Ituunels odaxu doo mainoe!” His tone suggests a much lighter message than the conversation was predicated on. Immediately the dwarf calls the cart to a halt and a conversation ensues between the lead dwarf, Tinkerer, and the second dwarf beside him. Once the cart stops two other young dwarves show themselves from behind the cart but just listen to the conversation leaning against it comfortably. From what I can tell by the context clues it seems the elder dwarf is upset at the one in the front seat, Tink mediates some sort of argument being had, and almost as quickly as they stopped, the cart continues on its way again down the street. Survivor asks first “What was that about?” her eager angst still felt in her voice.
Tinkerer responds “Nothing really, just a small family feud, the father wanted the opinion of outsiders to teach his son a lesson. Not sure I gave him what he wanted, the son was mostly right.” Tiamus pushes past the 2 of them almost intentionally shoulder checking Tinkerer but missing by an inch “No more lollygagging, we’re on a job not a family therapy session.” and we all follow behind towards Evercast.
The town is just as alive as the day we left it, the bustle of town life becoming increasingly evident on our approach. The road widens and more people are visible, going about their daily routines. The air is filled with the distant sounds of merchants haggling, children playing, and the occasional animal call. Passing over the bridge the market square appears quite welcoming. A few stalls and carts line the area, displaying an array of goods from fresh produce to hand crafted trinkets. Merchants call out their prices and shoppers weave through a small crowd, inspecting the offerings. The scent of various foods waft through the air, tempting those passing by. The same stall that I tasted the delicious meats from just two days ago is still there, my immediate instinct pulls me towards it but Tiamus’s stern voice plays in my mind. ‘Don’ts lose mind track. Money Money Money, grumpy grumpy grumpy.’ my conscience wins me over and I stay focused on our task. Passing the market, on the right hand side of the road, the cart we passed is placed by the Rosewater inn, the dwarves carry their wares into an employee entrance on the side. The youngest one who was being berated before waves a greeting of thanks towards Tinkerer.
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Evercast holds so many unseen secrets below the surface. Walking through the town today feels heavy, as if each of its secrets are watching us from the shadows. We approach the gate to the mayor’s manor where a pair of guards stand, one of them takes a few steps towards us with a hand up. “Halt, state your business.”
“We don’t have time for this, we have a meeting with your captain.” Tiamus says pointedly before brushing past the man just trying to do his job. Before we all head in, his defeated demeanor drops suddenly when he locks eyes with the three guards we have in tow. “LIN!?!?” he shouts out at him. Lin looks up swiftly recognizing the voice:
“Boyd!?!? Man am I glad to see you.” He begins sprinting up to the man and embraces him as a brother would.
“I’m so glad you’re alive, we all thought you three were eaten by an owlbear.” He says, slightly in jest. The other guard on gate duty joins them and the five of the men catch up quickly sharing about the past few days. Tiamus grows impatient and takes the restrained Lisle, pushing him up the small hill towards the Manor.
As the party stands before the mayor’s manor, Tiamus takes the lead, striding into the building to fetch the captain; he leaves Lisle with Tink. In his absence, the air is tense while we wait. Every second feels like wasting precious time that we have ahead of the underground dealings going on in the town. His return moments later brings a slight amount of ease. Survivor steps forward, her gaze steady, and begins to explain the situation to the captain now emerging with Tiamus in tow. “Captain, we’ve uncovered evidence that Goldbeard is involved in excessive illegal activities. He’s been using his shop as a front for more nefarious operations, while Lisle here” she grabs the tied man and pushes him forward towards the captain, Lisle is silent and downcast, admitting his defeat, he falls to the ground with her massive shove onto his knees while she continues “used his cabin as a storehouse for the processing and sale of bloodsight spores. We need your assistance to investigate and put an end to it.” Her tone is firm and resolute. The captain is in shock, completely surprised, he begins asking her a series of questions, which Saemon and Survivor answer but I can’t be bothered to pay any attention to.
Instead, my gaze is affixed on something much more intriguing. A colorful butterfly fluttering near a vibrant bed of flowers. Entranced for a moment: I have to take a closer look. In this bland and dull world this colorful creature has brought me closer to home than I have been since I got here. Is Zoe messages me? I lean down as the creature floats effortlessly above a yellow dandelion, watching its purple wings flutter. I’m entranced by its beauty. But my dreams are shattered when brought back to reality by a sharp, scratchy voice echoing through the whole yard. Yanked back into reality I realize I’ve wandered about 20 feet from the group and quickly return while listening to the interruption. “What nonsense is this? Goldbeard?! A criminal? Preposterous! You come here with wild accusations and I will not entertain such baseless claims.” The mayor himself has joined the conversation, likely summoned by the commotion. A portly man with an air of arrogance that seems to precede him. His eyes narrow as he assesses the group, and he seems to have interrupted survivor’s requests with a dismissive wave of his hand. “The general store is an incredibly important piece of Evercast, and Goldbeard himself is among the most righteous of her denizens. I will not allow it to be besmirched based on the whims of a few outsiders and a criminal’s promise.” he declares pompously.
Survivor stands her ground, her jaw set. “Mayor, we have evidence–”
The mayor interrupts with a condescending chuckle. “Evidence? Do you mean the erased scribblings in an unconfirmed drug ledger? Or the claims of a man already condemned? You found a safehouse for [blood dust], that’s great, though we never really had a problem in the first place. I’m sure it was just a halfway house, but that’s where this ends. You helped when the Horned Devil attacked, and were rewarded for such. Right now that is the ONLY thing posing a threat to my people and I will NOT have the good name of a genuine family and business tarnished on my watch. If you are not going to help us find this Horned Devil then you are to leave Evercast. We don’t need troublemakers here.” In a furious huff he turns towards the captain “Captain Molison see to it that if they are not aiding your investigation of the Horned Devil ONLY, then they are to leave immediately.” the captain turns a concerned look towards the party, and nods in submission to the mayor, who storms inside, his indignation apparent in every furious stride.
Captain Molison is visibly conflicted, torn between his duty to uphold the mayor’s commands and his sense of justice. He hesitates for a moment before nodding curtly. With a resigned expression, he gestures for the group to depart, his eyes apologetic but still firm. Reluctantly, we comply, leaving Lisle in the care of a number of attending guards. As we turn to leave Jared, Slim, and Lin approach, expressions of gratitude etched on their faces. “Thank you,” Jared begins, his voice filled with sincerity. “We owe you our lives. If there’s ever anything we can do to repay you–” before they can finish, a bloodcurdling scream pierces the air, echoing from inside the manor. We immediately spring into action as if rehearsed, weapons drawn, we rush towards the source of the scream inside the mansion, adrenaline coursing through our veins. Rushing through the elaborate hallways we find the source of the scream at the mayor’s office. He is currently being escorted away down the hallway away from us, his face drained of color, while on his desk lies the lifeless bloodied head of a hyena. Two fake metal horns protrude from the top of the severed head, eerily reminiscent of the Horned Devil’s trademark horns. A few members of the party look horrified, but my first thought is to perfect the display. I take a dandelion flower from my bag and place it in the mane of the head. “Much betters!”