We checked that all of our gear was good, nothing damage and everything accounted for before we head off. Following behind the group of orphans out of sight. It was fairly easy as the kids made plenty of noise as they were guided to their new homes. Kesev was in front with his leather armor and two swords. The sounds of the children got quieter as each group split off to the various locations they were heading to. We followed one hoping it would lead us to what we wanted. Hopefully we’d catch the one responsible for pulling these young away before they could succeed… why did I care? I mean sure I wanted to do the job for the monarch as he’d been good but I actually cared? They were just soft-skin young, ones not even wanted by the adults of their kind… and yet I actually cared, weird.

Eventualy we stop outside of a clearing with a house in the center of it. Roulla bringing the last child in the door. We check the surrounding area, hiding as we watch and wait.

[morgan] “you think she’ll just take them through the woods?”

We wait silently in response, seeing if her question will be answered. The sun goes down, the air cools and we hear a song coming from the house, only bits and pieces of it audible. I feel a bit drowsy but remain awake, as does morgan and kesev. A minute later and we hear a door open then roulla’s voice. Seconds more a bird flies off through the trees making a birdsong I’d never heard before.

[Roulla] “that’s it, tell them to come.”

She goes back inside, the door shutting with a solid wooden thud.

[kesev] “we should get into position, move to be in ambush when her guests arrive”

Morgan and I nod as we follow his lead. Walking through the brush and undergrowth as quietly as we can manage… which isn’t the best but hopefully it isn’t noticed as people moving around and just assumed to be passing animals.

[Al] “hhhmmmm, you know she might have some magic talent right? What happens if she counters your attempted ambush? … oh and by the way if you spent some time I think you might find a new ability or two available for you… well I’m going to leave you to your dull waiting.”

It’s two hours of waiting, thinking on Al’s little speech before we hear a rustling of branches moving in our direction. Getting closer and closer till we could hear the branches creak and moan from the weight with each… JUMP! I saw the outline of one, they were built like many other soft-skins but large, and powerful. Each great leap taking them to a branch in a hundred feet easily. Two landed in the clearing, the heavy impacts easily heard as each had a skin that looked, wrong… I mean soft-skins already looked wrong but these were particularly off putting, their skin no where near as smooth and looking bumpy as far as I could tell in the dark. My eyes took in what they could but without color some things become indistinct.

We wait and a moment later the door opens. Roulla walks out with a smile.

[Roulla] “ah there you are, wonderful. I hope you remembered your bags this time, it’s much easier that way… well, go on get started while they’re unconscious.”

One enters in and Kesev leads our ambush. We launch out from behind the bushes, morgan launches a magic missile at roulla, kesev charges and slashes at the remaining… bumpy-skin? Whatever it was, I blast at roulla as well following morgan’s instinct. With the shock only roulla reacts after our initial assault. Her hands and eyes give a faint orange glow as she mutters something and then from the ground vines and growth form around and over her body before breaking off their base, granting her a form of armor. The beast man thing gets slashed up by kesev, good cuts and yet it seems unfazed by his attacks. Morgan and I launch another volley of our magics at her and though we both land our hits the effects seem muted.

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[Roulla] “how troublesome you are. You deal with lizard, I’ve got these two.”

I focused my power, ensuring I had sight of her magically as a spell surged through her, in a moment she had a spear and launched it. The wooden weapon spearing in and through morgan’s shoulder as she cried out. Then the second servant, bumpy-skin thing of roulla’s came out of the house and went for kesev. It’s own blade swung down, aiming for kesev as he dodged, the blade hitting the dirt as the second ones missed kessev except for his arm. What we didn’t truly understand is how out matched we are. Kesev’s arm came clean off, the snap of bone mixing with a yell of pain as he reeled back. I went to morgan.

“hop on me!”

As best she can she grabs on and clings to my body as I run. I project my power around us, the wind swirling as another spear soars off course into a tree.

[Roulla] “my that’s a neat trick! You still can’t do anything fools”

“we need to leave”

[morgan] “you think?!”

“wait wouldn’t you-”

[morgan] “later! Living is critical. KESEV, GET OUT OF HERE!”

I run, through brush and past a few startled creatures, at least for an hour before stopping.

“why didn’t they follow us?”

[morgan] “either she doesn’t need to, or kesev bought us the time… I hope it’s the first one of those.”

“agreed, neither of us are good at melee fighting”

[morgan] “you’re really terrible sometimes. Mind helping me out by breaking off the back part of this, or pulling it through?”

motioning to the remains of the spear in her shoulder. I get into position and through a few tries that have her yelling out and shedding tears I break off the pointed end.

“we should leave it in until you find a healer”

[morgan] “yeah, I guess… fucking hurts… you think kesev died?”

“I think he lived. Either way we need to survive”

[morgan] “yeah, just… get me back to town and I should be able to get us some help.”

I nod and for the rest of the night we wander. As the sun rises I reorient myself and walk on. Eventually getting us back to a form of civilization. Morgan makes the payments and we use a basement. She takes time getting things setup, arcane symbols being drawn on the stone floor and a gem powder sprinkled. After some chanting she pauses and then uses the magic.

[morgan] “hidden monarch. We located the one stealing orphans. We’re in Gashial, wounded, and kesev is missing. Help needed. Further details when communication is in person”

she sighs and looks to me.

“so now we wait right?”