They had all hoped George would easily secure passage from one of the human ships at the port. George was a veteran guard who had retured in his village after 20 years of loyal service. He moved to Plumtown, a new village that had developed on the northern coast. He worked as a peacekeeper in his village and eventually became the village chief. He would take daily trips to the ocean relax and fish with Fred and Paul while downing various ales. Fred and Paul didn't survive the raid.

And then there wasn Edna. Oh how he loved her. He hoped she made it to Marningville. It was a 20 mile hike through spider and poison infested forests. Edna was a Cook lvl 30. He met her at the tavern she worked for and fell in love at first stew. Well that's what he told all his friends. Hopefully someone saw her worth and helped her. He prayed to the gods every night before bed. "How the mighty have fallen." George thought to himself as he found himself caught again, aboard a human slavers ship bound to an even more northern part of Talah in the morning.

"Its gotta be me Linda. You know what they'll do to her and they won't take your money or take you seriously." Jackson reasoned.

"We could change clothes. I could hide my hair in your hat. Pretend to be a man." She desperately hedged.

Jackson took a good look at Linda and shook his head. "Even if we were to dress you as a man, and you lowered your voice, you walk like a woman."

As they argued back and forth, Mellie stood and prepared herself to save her ally. She was a Descendant of Saviors afterall. Maybe it was time she started acting like it. She analyzed the skills she was going to need to lean on.

Spell: Shadowalk lvl 22

Instantly travel to from one shadow to another. Be the shadow you walk in. Slide in and out of shadows undetectable to non-magical vison.

Spell: Test of Wills lvl 22

Can create or destroy with intent. Be warned, the stronger will prevales. Capable of defeating target of same level. Boon effect: Will can defeat up to 5 levels higher if target is incapacitated.

Range: touch Manabood wand adds 12" to range

It was time for Mellie to talk to her allies. While they were trying to protect her, she could protect them instead. She was fully capable and she decided that she needed to trust them. She walked over to Linda and Jackson standing outside the cave trying to come up with a plan. She cleared her throat.

"Yes Mellie." Jack exhaled.

"I'll do it." Melly interrupted. They were only in this situation because she wasnt honest with them. "I'm going after George." Jackson interrupted "No absolut-"

"I didnt ask, Jackson. I'm doing this. Alone. I'll get him. This isn't an argument, its a fact. I'll get him and get you and get us out. " She explained like he was a preschooler learning the alphabet. "Simple."

Jackson couldnt puzzle her out. She was always so calm, like she knew where she was going and what was going to happen. Through most of their journey she had been so playful and quiet. He assumed this was part of her subterfuge, but at this point he just could'nt understand her motives. She looked at him pointedly and removed her ring of concealment. He analyzed her.

Mellie Adams Manablood Savior lvl 12

Jackson didnt even have time to react as she rushed, "Just wait here. I may be small but I am more capable than you think. I'll be back." She said like Arnold while pretend cocking a gun. They all looked at her strangely. And she shadowalked to the harbor.

She had no idea what she was doing. So many things could go wrong. Did they have guns here? They probably didn't need guns with magic. She could potentially walk into the wrong situation and poof no more Mellie. Her heart was beating so hard she could feel her blood pumping through her neck. She focused on her breathing and let the panic subside. Someone had to help George. Why not her? Mellie made a plan.

Mellie slipped in and out of the shadows through the quiet parts of the harbor town. She stopped in an alley shadow, overlooking a bustling street and began looking for the ones that were overlooked and used. The child thieves always had information in the movies no matter what world you're in and they're friendlier to deal with. Well unless you count like Children of the Corn or the kids in Hostel. She decided to be a little more prepared.

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🎶The three little kittens they lost their mittens and they began to cry🎶

Feral Cat lvl 3

Mellie slipped from shadow to shadow, reaching the hissing emaciated cat before willing it into a fashionable cape. Unfortunately it had the orange yellow pattern of the tabby so she had to recast wills to get the color more inconspicuous. The next 3 cats she found became a knife, a mask, and some pretzels. "Something else must be eating the mice" she guessed. Her thought was verified as she saw a slime lvl 4 attack a cat, almost killing it, chasing after a thin rat. The slime stopped over the rat, sliding its body inside its gelatinous mass, vibrated like it enjoyed itself, and slid into the sewer grate. "Gross" Mellie thought and continued on her quest.

After equipping herself and eating her snack, she watched a little boy dart around a fat nobles legs, tripping him while another little girls nimble fingers danced his coinpurse from his belt. She felt her purse to be safe. It was more secure than a coinpurse no doubt.

She slipped behind the pair as they met in the alley behind the street they were just on. They were dividing up their loot. Mellie threw a gold coin from the shadow. "Hey kid. I need information. I can pay."

The foxgirl and foxboy spun around and backed against the wall clutching the cloth bag in his hand, crouched, ears pointed back, snarling. The foxgirl held the smaller foxboy behind her, standing tall, gritting her teeth. They looked similar to eachother so she assumed they were siblings. The foxgirl then noticed the gold coin and Mellie's words registered in her mind. She looked from the gold coin to her brother to the woman back and forth until she sputtered out "What information".

"I'm looking for a man who came into town yesterday trying to barter passage south to Nort.".when it came out of my mouth like that I wondered why they named a southern continent to sound like north but this is just how this world is, she guessed. Maybe they dont have compasses? They seems to navigate by the stars and moons. Who knows. Maybe this world doesnt rotate the same as Earth.

The girl eyed Mellie up and down. "2 gold and you never saw me" she raised her eyebrow. She didnt think the woman could afford it, especially if a bunch of smelly humans were trying to get a ride on one of their floating dens. The foxgirl assumed Mellie would soon become slime food like the rest of the humans once she was caught so she might as well shake the gold out of her. 2 gold could get her own passage across the sea so Jenny and Pete wouldn't have to struggle to survive anymore. The slumlord just raised taxes and the thieves guild began taking 75% of all her thefts. Jenny was almost 13 and men had started leering at her. When she started growing breasts her taxes started going up. The correlation was hard to deny.

The second gold coin landed at the girl's feet. This was it. She frantically looked around peering through the shadows. This was a risk. If her boss found out, they would kill her brother and then kill her. This port town was full of slavers bandits and thieves. Jenny and Pete were born in this town when it was thriving. Their father was a fisherman and their mother was a healer. The only thing saving them from slavery was the fact that no one knew they were half human.

Their father had been a slave to their mothers house and they had fallen in love. Their mother had lived a quiet life with their father outside the village for 5 years before he went out to the waters and never came back. They never found out if he died or was captured. Their mother moved back into town to work as a healer and slowly began to get sick. It was like her heart was shutting down her body. Jenny and Pete were 7 and 6 when their mother left them alone to support themselves. The first year they survived off charity from their mothers old patients. They tried doing odd jobs around town but since they were young and desperate shopkeepers took advantage and they struggled to keep food in their bellies.

The theives guild began pressuring them when they began begging. They would come by suggesting ways to get money and get food that were so easy they had to try them. They would do anything to fill the holes in their stomaches. And this was thier chance. If they didn't get caught.

"Jenny, dont." warned Pete with wide eyes. He knew what happened to traitors.

His sister wasnt thinking about torture, she was grabbing this opportunity. She double checked the area and snatched up the coins much to Pete's astonishment. "Jenny!" He whisper scolded her. He didnt understand why she would risk this. Jenny leaned up and whispered frantically, "If your friend was looking for passage in the past couple days he must have a terrible a luck stat. Yesterday the human slaver ship dropped off their last package of humans. Your friend is either with them in the keep (she stealthily gestured to it and looked at pointedly) the spire at the edge by the port, where they prepare the mans for auction, or hes on the Creeky Dodger, the human slave ship."

Jenny grabbed her brother and ran back to their expensive moldly shed they rented. "Jenny they're gonna kill us." Pete blubbered as they collected thier belongings. Jenny picked up her mothers rune carved necklace and draped it around her neck. She had it buried under the floorboards of the shed because if Mickey had found it, he would have made her hand it over because she was "short" on payment. No more slumlord. No more slums. Jenny slung her bag over her shoulder and wiped up her brothers tears. "Be strong and swift little fox" she said as she smiled at him, just like their mother used to and snuck off into the darkness.