“I think Pevmick’s suspicious,” Rhiley stated, sitting on the bed with his mother and Nella. “He kept asking me when I got a second dog. He must have seen Kip before she took off.”
“Then we haven’t much time left,” Konren replied, his deep voice spoken quietly. “Do you have any ideas on how to get Joe out of here, Kaid?”
“All my stuff only works on me. I can’t share my [Whisperstep] or [Furtive Focus],” the gnome stated, looking ashamed. Before Joe could reassure him, the little scoundrel added, “The only plan I had was getting them to chase me, hoping they miss Joe running the other way. But that won't work now. If Pevmick is onto us, he’ll send for Gondavese and his dogs.”
“Dogs?” Joe whispered, as the one he had been petting bumped his hand so he would keep doing so. “I know how to deal with dogs, but only if we can get away from the house.”
“How?” asked Kaid and Rhiley at once.
“We sprinkle a scent across our trail that will throw off their sense of smell for a while. Do you have any sharp, pungent-smelling herbs?”
“We have black pepper and firespice,” Sarsha supplied, while Nella asked, “Would vinegar work?”
“No vinegar! It would work, but it could also seriously damage a dog’s lungs. I’m not going to do that. Pepper, and I’m guessing a chili-like spice, is mean enough. Do you have clove or cumin or turmeric?”
“I don’t know those last two,” the newly healed mother stated, “but I have a whole jar of ground clove.”
“Let’s use that. It won’t be as strong as the peppers, but it has less chance of ruining a dog. Right, buddy,” Joe added, squooshing Buck’s face.
“What does it matter? They’re just dogs, Joe,” Kaid scoffed, only to get a solid punch in the arm from his friend. Joe threw Rhiley a smile and a nod.
“I’m not hurting someone’s dogs if I can help it. Even so, that still doesn't get us out of the house.” Joe scanned the room before continuing. “I think we should consider giving up. Those charges are ridiculous. Since I am not a fey, a quick truth spell will clear this up. Kaid said you have clerics that have those. The Dellhams will get a fortune in gold, and we can get out from under this insanity. I don’t particularly relish the idea of being a fugitive.”
When every other head in the room looked worried and began to shake their heads, Joe realized this might be more than just a simple misunderstanding.
“Sir Groven is a highly respected defender of the realm,” Konren stated firmly. “He slew the Owlmill Incubus on his own, saving dozens of lives and souls. Even though his hatred of anything alien is overly zealous, the knight is known to be a good man. You will not receive a fair trial here, Joe. Lord Amberwroth will unconditionally side with Sir Groven. I fear nothing you say or is said on your behalf will be heard. Unless a templar of Onhur somehow hears of your trial, you will get no truthsense performed for you.”
Joe sighed. ‘We’re screwed,’ he thought.
As those words passed through his head, the notification he had received for healing Sarsha became suddenly more insistent. It flickered frantically at the corner of his eye. For some reason, Joe felt like Hawking was actively trying to point out the alert to him, even though the mysterious entity had been pretty clear that giving direct help or unsolicited advice was something he was not allowed to do.
Opening the information block, Joe read.
You have successfully completed [Septic Slice].
Do you wish to accept your quest rewards now?
A glowing orb appeared beside him. Even with the blanket over the window, Joe was afraid the ball of light would be too bright, alerting the hunters outside the house. As he looked around, he realized the phenomenon didn’t actually light up the room at all. It seemed to glow, but it didn’t illuminate the occupants packed into the small bedroom or create any shadows. He willed [Coin Catcher] to loot the orb, pulling a golden medallion into his hand.
[Talisman of the Medic] (Item: Soulbound - Uncommon-) A medic needs to be able to slip through battle in order to heal comrades or to get a patient to safety. This talisman will store up your movement and use it to make medium-range teleportation steps. It will store a maximum of 100 feet of movement per point of Vigor you possess. An ally can be carried with you by expending twice the amount of stored movement per teleport. Distance Pool: 400 ft / 400 ft {Teleportation}
“I think we now have our way out of here,” Joe stated, flipping the two-inch golden disc over in his hand. The back side had a hook that could be used to fasten the item to something like a belt, chain, or coat. The front was etched with a swooping design that gave off an impression of movement.
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He recalled medium range meant up to sixty feet. The first teleport out of the house would cost twice as much from the pool since he’d have to take Kaid with him, but once outside, Joe was certain Kaid could sneak away from the farm on his own. That would leave Joe four of five more jumps to get distance between himself and the guards. If they headed past the wood piles, they might be able to reach the treeline at the closest edge of the farm.
As Joe explained what the talisman could do, Nella slipped off the bed to gather supplies for them. Her father accompanied her. By the time Rhiley, Kaid, Sarsha, and Joe had decided on the best route to take to reach the trees, the other two had returned. Nella must have already started the travel bag. The small rucksack in her hands looked stuffed with items. As Joe already had a backpack, she passed the bag to the tiny gnome. While it looked ridiculously large on the small man, the ruffian seemed to have no trouble with its weight.
Their goodbyes were quick and quiet, but Joe found himself surprisingly heartsore as he hugged the Dellhams goodbye and gave Buck one last good ruffling. While he had only known these good folks for a single day, this family had been the primary focus of his new life in Illuminaria so far. He had been without a family for so long; even this temporary connection to Rhiley and his kin was something to be cherished.
Leaving them also felt like he was untethering himself from his safety net. It would just be Kaid and himself going forward, leaving Crowfield's inherent safety behind. While he was somewhat unnerved by that thought, he had to admit he was a bit excited as well. There was a whole new world out there. It was dangerous and confusing, but Joe was gaining skills and levels. If he kept his head and kept learning, who knew how far he could go?
“Ok,” Kaid whispered, “Time to go.”
They slipped out of the bedroom, though Sarsha stayed in bed. Konren and Nella stayed by the door as Rhiley, Joe, and Kaid crept to the back of the house. Joe was not sure if he could teleport through the kitchen window. If not, they would try cracking open the backdoor.
Joe took hold of the small man’s shoulder and looked through the pane of glass by the pump. All he had to do was think about the talisman and the item activated. His vision seemed to jump and skitter under the medallion’s magic. He felt like his eyesight was getting stuck on spots as he looked around the yard behind the house. It took him a second to realize his eyes were trying to lock onto a spot on the grass. He picked an area next to a tall stack of firewood and focused on it. His vision zoomed into that spot; he could see each blade of grass snap into sharp clarity. Joe could have counted the curving rings in the segmented logs even though they were twenty yards away in the night.
He felt a pulse ripple through his skin, leaving him feeling a sense of anticipation. He leaned into that sensation, giving it his assent. With a small pop of displaced air, Joe found himself, with Kaid still in his grasp, standing in the grass by the woodpile.
Knowing what he was doing now, Joe released Kaid and targeted what looked like a blueberry bush about thirty feet away. The netted plant was the only cover nearby. Joe appeared beside the fruit-bearing shrub but had not accounted for the uneven ground. His left foot found a few inches of open air, forcing Joe to land on his hands and knees to quiet his fall. Luckily, the short grass was soft, muffling his landing.
The next spot they had planned for was the old wagon. Konren had the broken wheel in the barn as he had not gotten around to mending it yet. At the moment, the cart sat with one corner held up by a log.
Unfortunately, they had just underestimated the distance from the berry bush to the wagon. Joe couldn’t lock onto the ground on the far side of the vehicle. His jump would only bring him to the closer side of the cart, which would leave him in plain sight of the sheds and barn where the guards had been stationed.
Still on his hands and knees, he crept forward, trying to be as quiet as possible. Each rustle seemed unbelievably loud to his ears. With his head down in this position, he couldn’t easily check to see if he was out in the open, either. He expected at any moment to hear a warning shout.
Or worse, the sound of a guard clearing his or her throat right over him. That would be both terrible and completely humiliating.
As soon as his vision zeroed in on the spot he wanted, Joe willed himself to teleport there. Panting with tension, he rolled into a sitting position against one of the remaining wheels. Slowing his breathing, he listened, but the only sound he heard was his own hammering heartbeat. No cry of alarm or footfalls coming his way.
The next two teleports were easy. Fifty feet to the corner of the sheep pen and then a full distance jump parallel to the fence. With only twenty feet or so left in the talisman, Joe started slinking alongside the rails towards the trees, each step refilling his new medallion.
When he reached the relative safety of the trees, he found Kaid and Kip there waiting for him. The gnome held up a finger in front of his lips and pointed to a spot in the forest where the moonlight was illuminating the forest floor. It was the only thing Joe could see under the thick canopy of leaves. Joe had refilled enough movement to make the teleport. A moment after he appeared, the silent Kaid and an equally stealthful owl appeared out of the gloom beside him.
Joe noted a long, dimly glowing item on the ground a few feet away. He stepped out of the beam of moonlight into the pitch blackness. Trying not to trip, he reached down to retrieve his smoldering staff.
“Good, he found it,” chirped the young girl who stood where the owl had landed. “So, Kaid. What’s the plan? Want me to lead them away?”
“Naw. You've done enough, Kip. Gondavese will be here with his dogs in the morning. I don’t want them getting your scent. We’ve got a good head start, and Joe’s new ‘blink-step’ item can take two people. We’ll lose em. You should get back home before your dad finds out you’re out prowling the night with me again. He’s still mad at me for Long Night.”
“That was fun,” the girl chuckled. She stood between Kaid and Rhiley in height, wearing forester leathers in green and brown. Her mane of dark hair was only partially contained by loose braids. A long hunting knife hung from a well-worn belt. Everything about the youthful girl exclaimed woodlander to Joe, even her slightly husky voice.
“He’s mostly over it, but yeah, he’ll tan my rump if he finds out we were messing with the town guards again. You be safe, Little Man. Come find me when you get back.” With a casual salute, her form swirled and shrunk in an instant. Joe watched the owl silently vanish into the thick darkness under the trees.
Joe realized she had not spoken to him once in either encounter. She had barely glanced at him. Maybe she was shy or shared Kaid’s discomfort with bigger people. Joe let that mystery go, having far more pressing matters at hand.
Other than a few inconsistent silvery beams breaking through the canopy of leaves, Joe stood in a vast void of black shadows. Somehow, he was going to have to traverse this ebon expanse of roots and rock to get away from the hunters who would soon be on their trail.