In the cargo hold of the Creeky Dodger, two children rested next to the rum barrels, sleeping soundly. The oldest, some would no longer consider a child, but Linda knew better. She held the hand of the little girl as she whimpered in her sleep. Otterden was overtaken by bandits after their parents died and by their memory alone they had survived. Unfortunately their memory only lasted so long. If not for the slaveship, the little girl would have been forced into prostitution within a year, like Lindas best friend. She stroked little Pauls sleepy head. She could save them. She could try, at least.
Linda had raised a boy, Henry Sampson. He moved out two years before the collapse of the town. He had been 22 when the town fell. She had been hoping he would settle down and give her some grandkids soon. He hadnt met the right girl and she guessed he never would now.
Monsters killed men. Men killed men. And the women remain home to raise more. But she had to try. Someone had to try. Everyone needs a little care. When Linda first met Mellie she was quiet and cautious, bouncing intohappy and loud, reminding her of a sad child that needed a mother. Linda was always a warm smile and a helping hand. Sometimes she could be angry or selfish but helped volitile people calm down. After mediating arguments with her parents as a child she even got a skill Calming Aura.
Linda settled in to sleep next to the children. They were half foxkin, making them the ire of some of the slaves aboard the ship had noticed their ears and began witholding the food from the children. With Linda there, they had a form of protection.
Their trip to Nort was coming to an end. The passengers restless and anxious, hoping for an uneventful departure. Jackson had already decided he was going to push the ship onward to Reglar after dropping the rescued passengers off a few miles away from Marningville. Linda knew how to make counteragents to the local poisons and would be scouting ahead for the right herbs. The spiders would be passable as long as they stayed away from nests and took precautiouns to be quiet. They each equipped themselves with what weapons and supplies they had found in the ship, pilfering whatever they could that wasn't in the captains quarters.
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They would disembark this ship not slaves, but free men with gold lining their pockets and supplies on their backs. No one would believe stories about the black haired girl and the golden flying ship except the eighty men and women who had the chance to meet Savior.
When Jackson landed the ship in the water with creeks waves and splashes, the boat sunk into the sea. Once the ship stopped swaying, the anxious passengers began filling the lifeboats. As the rescued slaves' feet hit land, they cried hugging eachother. They were back in Nort, free, saved. The road ahead was perilous, but they had a chance.
Delilah followed after George, unsure of what to do. She couldnt obscure her status. Without a new class stone, she would have the fate of a slave in Nort. She had confided to George her predicament and he took her under his wing, like a father to a daughter. He would pass her off as his slave until she got that thing removed with a new class, some way or another. Class stones werent hard to get if you were willing to take the risk. And that was exactly what George had planned.
George had trained the soldiers of Plumtown and was well versed on training and attack formations. Between Marnington and Plumtown there were a couple dungeons. One was a small boss, a Warthog King, the closest dungeon to the village. The locals farmed that dungeon for the meats and loot drops.
The dungeon he was thinking of was in direct line between where they were dropped off and Marningville. Certain Acid Weaver Spiders dropped class stones.The trouble was that they were usually around lvl 30, which surpassed most of their lvl 10-12 range. He knew this because in his youth he farmed Acid Weaver spiders for soldier class stones for the army. The group was motivated enough that with enough people, planning anything was possible.
Delilah wasnt the only one forced into the Slave class. Jenny and her brother also had the class, as about ten others. They shuffled around, hopeless. George couldn't make any promises, he could only offer shelter and protection, but thats what he was good at.
After Linda had made the antivenom potions, they set off into the poisonous woods. Everyone kept an eye out for the conspicuously large spiders trying to hide behind thin trees, as they did. George Linda and Delilah led the large party through the woods, toward the dungeon.
Some chose to wait at the entrance, nothing to gain, nothing more to lose. The ones who willing to risk death to change thier class followed George into the dive. They knew thier lives would be forfeit if they didnt find a stone today. The weapons and supplies were distributed to the delvers and they were sent off to their death or salvation.