Dawn broke across the horizon of the following day. With rising tendrils of incense around him, Zelotes knelt towards the sun in prayer in his native tongue as its warm light fell upon his leonine face. The rest of the caravan began stirring, the dwarf tinkerer, Tulbrik, was passed out next to the wagon containing the caravan’s rations after he had passed the second watch shift to Zelotes the previous night. After he finished his prayer, he approached the wagon tulbrik was passed out next to, retrieving one of his rations, a dried strip of buffalo meat. He went to find a spot to sit as he ate his dried buffalo, and meditated as the caravan got ready for the day.
By the time the caravan was ready to leave, Tulbrik was still out-cold by the ration-wagon. Zelotes approached the dwarf.
“Hey. Hey, Tulbrik! Hey!” Zelotes shouted at Tubrik only to be responded to with a snore. He then took his water skin and splashed half of it on Tulbrik’s face.
“Aaahhh! W-what was that for?” Tulbrik asked as he woke up suddenly.
“Caravan’s about to leave. If I recall, you were hired for this job as well.” Zelotes informed Tulbrik.
“Well, I di’nt need that in me face!” Tulbrik said, still aggravated.
“If it wasn’t me, it would’ve been someone else. Now go get your breakfast.” Zelotes replied earnestly.
“I guess you're right.” Tulbrik said getting up, muttering something in dwarvish as he searched for his rations, retrieving the sack that was Zelotes’.
“That’s mine.” Zelotes stated.
“How can you tell?” Tulbrik asked.
“I can smell it.” Zelotes answered.
Tulbrik handed the sack to him, and pulled out what he assumed was his. “Say, do ya leothiens ever drink any hard liquor? All I could find in this whole nation was wine.” Tulbrik asked.
“Well, given your quest to find the strongest liquor, you're going to be out of luck here in Letharis. The preferred drink in these lands is broth, although wine and beer are also popular.” Zelotes answered.
“Damn. Only beer and an elvish drink.” Tulbrik said in frustration. He staggered over to catch up with Zelotes. “Ya know, lad, I could probably take three bandits at once!” he bragged
“I’d like you to see you prove it.” replied Zelotes with a chuckle.
“Ah, can’t ya take my word for it?” asked Tulbrik.
“Actions are more powerful than words.” Zelotes replied stating as a matter-of-fact.
“But, words can cause action.” Tulbrik remarked.
“Regardless, it is one’s great deeds, not words, that yield results.” Zelotes answered firmly.
“Well, ya win there, I suppose.” Tulbrik admitted, downing half of a bottle of whiskey. “Lucky for me, we’ll be in booze paradise within a few days!”
“Booze paradise?” Zelotes asked.
“The place we’re heading to, Theltstown, has all kinds of ale, whiskey, vodka… oh I can hardly wait.” Tulbrik answered with glee as he took another swig from his bottle.
Zelotes looked at Tulbrik with concern, his bulbous red nose, and his staggered walk did not bode well to him. He laid a hand onto Tulbrik’s shoulder and sent an input of healing energy into the dwarf’s blood.
“Aye, what was that for?” Tulbrik asked, seeming more alert and agile than previously.
Zelotes answered “It seems to me that you’ve got a problem, Tulbrik, and with the nature that we’re supposed to protect this caravan-”
“Ah, shut it, ya zealot!” demanded Tulbrik.
“I was only trying to flush the alcohol out of your system because I was concerned about you.” said Zelotes calmly
“Whatever, I can fight just fine, drunk or sober, trust me!” Tulbrik said, as he proceeded to down the rest of his bottle, throwing it aside when he was finished.
The two proceeded with the caravan for four days, during which the two had conversation, friendly sparring, and of course, the brief argument over Tulbrik's excessive alcohol consumption. Eventually, they made their way to a stopping point in a field. What looked like a ruined staircase stood before the group.
“Ah, a dracotube!” Tulbrik said.
“I don’t know much about draconic history, but isn’t that what the dragons used to quicken travel?”
“Yeah, but this one is far smaller than most. Probably was more for transporting Drakgath and kobolds.”
One of the older, robed parrotfolk began casting a sort of spell, drawing a circle of runes at the top of the staircase. The runes flashed rhythmically, before melding into a circle of indigo light.
“We should probably go first, no telling what’s on the other end of that portal.” Zelotes said, stepping forward.
“Right behind ya, lad!” Tulbrik announced, before downing a quarter of a whiskey bottle.
The two proceeded up the staircase, approaching the portal before taking a step through. They reached the other side, five leothien bandits waited for them, swords and daggers sheathed, guns holstered. Zelotes spoke to them.
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
“I would rather not have to fight you. I shall give you this chance to surrender.” The paladin announced with a stern tone.
The bandits simply drew their mechanical scimitars and daggers in response. Covering his face with the visor of his helm, Zelotes pulled out his greatsword and charged the two leaders of the group, while Tulbrik dealt with the three lackeys. Zelotes hacked at their leather armor, damaging it, but not wounding them. They struck Zelotes at the weak points in his armor, sending pain through him as their scimitars scored into his flesh. Though in pain, Zelotes continued, charging his blade with sunlight, bursting into golden explosions of solar flame as he struck. He sent a wound deep into one of the leaders’ torso as the smite seared his flesh, bringing him to his knees. Zelotes hesitated, he would be gleeful to make these scoundrels suffer for the act they would commit, but there wasn’t honor in making them suffer more without giving them a chance to surrender.
“Once more, I would rather not have to fight you.” He repeated with the same stern tone. The two looked at each other, and then him before fleeing into the forest. Zelotes turned his attention to help Tulbrik. Tulbrik was piled over by the remaining bandits, they were stabbing him with their daggers, and one even pulled out a pistol, ready to fire. With one of the apparatuses of his gauntlet, he tried shooting beams of flame at them, but in his drunken state, they all missed, and his hammer was knocked out of reach. Zelotes wrestled the gunman off of Tulbrik, pinning him to the ground. He shot at Zelotes only to be met with his bullet ricocheting off of his armor before Zelotes knocked him out with the pommel of his greatsword. Another turned his attention to Zelotes, jumping at him with his dagger, only to be met with a deep slash from Zelotes’ blade, while Tulbrik managed to wrestle the remaining leothien bandit off of him, keeping the recently gun-equipped hand pointed away from him.
“I give you all one more chance to leave…” Zelotes said, charging his blade for another smite. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning came from somewhere in the forest, striking the ground and spooking the bandits into fleeing with their unconscious associate. Zelotes turned to heal Tulbrik’s wounds.
“Oi, thanks for the save, lad!” Tulbrik gratified Zelotes.
“Let this be a lesson for you not to drink on the job.” Zelotes said.
“Well I won’t say I don’t know any be’er.” Tulbrik grunted, as he stood up with his stab wounds now healed. “Either way, they should’ve known be’er than to pull guns on an armored man!”
“Where did that lightning bolt come from?” Zelotes asked.
“No idea, but it scared those bandits off for us!” Tulbrik replied
The two took a minute to catch their breath and waited for the event where the bandits would return. After a few minutes, there was no sign that the bandits would not return any time soon. They were about to return and guide the caravan through the portal. Zelotes felt something like a blade of electricity slash at his calf briefly. “Ah!” he yelled, stepping back, nearly tased. He drew his blade once more. A snapping of branches from the forest was audible in Zelotes’ ear. Holding his sword up in preparation for another fight, Zelotes was nearly ready to charge the source of the noise.
“If you’re inquiring about my location, here I am..” a figure emerged wearing a long, gray and blue, draping coat that hid its form, and a white mask that obscured its face underneath a black bowler hat. He carried a book bag at his side seemingly filled with more books than it could handle, and a curious gold ring with a cyan-blue crystal. Though his figure was obscured, he seemed elongated and slender. “It is your choice whether I am an enemy or not.”
“Which of the gods do you follow?” Zelotes demanded.
“I’m not a follower of any god, but I do have interest in the Stormwield.” answered the figure.
Zelotes lowered his weapon. “What is your business?”
“I am an arcanist.” the figure answered. “Specifically, one that specializes in lightning magic. I am traveling the world seeking knowledge on creating arcane spells.”
“I don’t think he is a threat, Zelotes.” Tulbrik spoke up. Zelotes looked to Tulbrik, then to the figure, and reluctantly sheathed his weapon.
“If you insist.” He said to Tulbrik. “What is your name?” Zelotes asked the figure.
“You may call me Xiyloos.” the figure answered.
“I’m Tulbrik” Tulbrik introduced himself. “Were ya the one that sent that lightning bolt?”
“Yes.” Xiyloos answered.
“What about the cut on my leg?” Zelotes demanded.
“That is not important… what is, is that I can say that I was impressed with you…” it said, facing Zelotes before turning down to Tulbrik. “... but not with you.” it finished.
“Ah, ya know nothin’! I could’ve taken all five o’ them!” Tulbrik bragged.
“Once again, I would’ve liked to see you prove it.” Zelotes said smugly. He turned to Xiyloos and asked “And why do you take interest in us?”
Xiyloos replied “The portal. I was curious why those outlaws didn’t shy away from it. And then I was intrigued when I saw you emerge from it and deal with them. You seemed like you wanted to do more with their leaders, yet you let them go. Why?”
“Because we were hired to protect the caravan at the other side of this portal, not punish these miscreants. The caravan apparently uses this portal regularly since they have an arcanist to activate it.” Zelotes answered Xiyloos’ question.
“An arcanist? Do they know anything about electromancy or spellcraft?” Xiyloos inquired, their curiosity perked.
“Don’t know.” Answered Tulbrik with a shrug.
“Maybe you could help us with the caravan and learn what you can from the arcanist.”
“Well, it would be hard for me to say no in that case.” Xiyloos answered. “The only currency I deal with is information.”
Zelotes paused for a moment, examining himself. “Oh come on!” he exclaimed. Xiyloos and Tulbrik briefly turned their attention to him. “I got blood on my armor!”
The dwarf and leothien went back to the caravan, taking Xiyloos with them. “Who have you brought with you?” One of the caravan members asked, clutching a spear in uncertainty.
“This is Xiyloos. They’re an arcanist of lightning magic. They helped us with the bandits on the other side of the portal, and we told them that one of you was an arcanist that they could learn from, in exchange for added protection.”
A robed parrotfolk stepped forward. “I know a few spells with transportation magic and how to activate magical technologies, but I don’t know much about lightning magic.”
“That will suffice.” Xiyloos answered.
The three then aided the caravan through the portal. For another three days, the caravan crossed over from the savannahs of Letharis to the steamy swamps of Corbein. There were a few bandits to deal with, but they were hardly a threat for the combined work of a paladin, electromancer, and maybe a drunken tinkerer, though a few were more challenging than others.
Eventually they began reaching the outskirts of the nation of Traelend, and spent another two days crossing the rough, hilly terrain before coming across their destination. It was past noon, but the sun wasn’t about to set yet as they saw houses made of cobblestone and wood lay in the valley before them.
“There it is, lads! Theltstown” Tulbrik exclaimed.
“Thank the Sunfather.” Zelotes said, exhausted from the trip. The whole of the caravan continued going, on downward, but these three acquaintances who somehow found each other just took a few minutes to rest for the afternoon.