Sixty-eight refugees followed Zeek in a single file line, as they journeyed through the Arzick Forest. The travel sped up remarkably once they made their way a few hours in the direction of the Edge Monastery. Zeek found that from time to time the forest canopy parted enough that he could glimpse the blue light shining in the distant monastery lighthouse.
Anders hated this forest. It was simply unfair how easy Zeek could find his way through the never ending look alike trees and streams. Like the others, Anders was holding a bit of short twine, connected to the person in front of her. She was doing her best to follow the orders of the First Blade however it was simply not her nature to keep quiet for the six hours of travel. Often she found herself humming to the night owl hoots and finding rhythm in the chirps of crickets. Zeek had turned to glare at her more than a handful of times. The boy was years more mature then he should be and that didn’t sit well considering she had always been scolded for acting like a child.
Anders caught herself once again before her humming became loud enough to get the glare. She was looking down attempting the best she could to find good footing while she stepped over a fallen tree when the top of her head bumped into Zeek.
Zeek spun around, putting a finger to Anders mouth before she let loose one of her rambling quips. He then moved his hand to her shoulder and gently tapped her. Zeek looked into the starlight glinting off Anders eyes as her head tilted at him in what could only be confusion.
Zeek snorted, had she forgotten already. He tried again, exaggerating his movements a bit and putting more force on the tap. When she only looked back in a blank stare he gently grasped her chin and turned her head to the left where a dozen goblins sat along the bank of a nearby stream.
“Oh” Anders let the sound out as she wrapped both hands over her mouth.
The goblins in sight all perked their pointed floppy ears in the sounds direction. Everything was still for a moment.
Zeek gently released a few quiet breaths when a snap echoed from further down the line of refugees.
A goblin stood with a look of utter delight “Meaties for us!”
The line of refugees looked left in unison as “Goblins!” was shouted out more than once.
Anders, for all her faults, immediately set her jaw in motion “I was given three puppies on my eighth birthday. I had only ever asked my Pa for one but he gave me three…”
Only three moved under the dim star light. The First Blade near the back took fast towards the stream. Dale moved towards the top of a small hilltop as he opened his coat to reveal eight single-hand crossbows strapped to the coat inner lining. Zeek moved towards the goblin that had spoken with its ear to ear grin as it stood frozen as its eyes strained but failed to pull away from Anders.
“...I named the brown puppy Rickard, as his color reminded me of shit and Elder Rickard the Third was known as a massive turd. I named the black puppy Bailey, to confuse my spoiled cousin Bailey whenever anyone called it out…”
Not a single goblin in sight could turn their gaze from Anders. Neither could any among the refugees, save the three already in motion. Far and wide the audience was entranced. They stood listening to Anders tell her rambling tale.
“...The last puppy was white as snow and so I named her Dirt because the smallest bit of dirt is all it took to ruin her perfect white coat…”
Zeek spun as his saber slashed out cutting to the spine of one goblin before leaving a gash on the neck of two more. The sound of them hitting the forest floor was swift as each swing carried the force of an ox kick, flinging goblins like discarded dolls.
“…But the three puppies were just an evil ruse. My Pa never intended for me to keep them…”
Dale grabbed two hand-crossbows, one in each hand. He then took aim, letting loose one after the other. One bolt struck a nearby goblin in the eye while the other went wide, finding a tree off in the distance. Dale dropped the two hand crossbows, while taking hold of two more.
“...One by one, Pa found a reason to take hold of my precious puppies and travel down to the market square. He made sure to remind me of my wrong doings, claiming with each he was teaching me a lesson…”
The First Blade moved along the stream bank. Behind him seven goblins began to fall to their knees as blood from thigh, throat, and gut spewed forth.
“...I don’t know what lessons Pa intended to teach. Though one I did learn, it wasn’t easy but I became very fond of waking early…”
Zeek sliced across the neck of one goblin as a crossbow bolt planted itself in its eye. Zeek glanced over his shoulder to see a shrugging Dale.
Anders smiled as she finished her rambling siren tale “…You see, I woke before the sun or morning song birds. The moonlight was my only guide as I found my way to my Pa’s fancy boots. There I hiked my gown to take my morning dump.”
The line of refugees stayed standing still while their eyes darted to the dead and dying goblins and then back to Anders who stood hand on hip and proud smirk on her face.
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Dale looked over towards Anders as he shouted “Ay, that Pa of you’s is a puss filled cunt! Should’ve bent you’s over his knees and lashed you’s till that jaw learned to follow orders and stays shut!”
Anders lost her smirk. And after a pause Dale added “You’s yapping has one purpose, know what it is?”
“To entertain.”
“No girl, to put’em ears that hear to rest.”
Dale looked around when none laughed, only to see a few awkward smiles to sooth his ego “Oh you’s lot lost your funny bones.”
The First Blade whipped his blade as he got closer to Zeek “Is it much further from here?”
Zeek shook his head no and held a single finger up.
The First Blade addressed the refugees “Hurry now we don’t have much further to go. An hour or less if I’m reading the boy true.”
Zeek nodded towards the First Blade.
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Petra reached under the skull face-guard to wipe away the last of the tears she would allow herself to shed. As she looked up she noticed Old Man Thane repeatedly looking out the dormitory window. She wondered if he was looking back on distant memories or if he could sense danger far away with his magic.
Old Man Thane looked over Petra as she carried his old staff and wore his favorite old enchanted jacket, now more a robe on her short form, but he was in love with the way his echoing leather skull cap fit the girl. Her tiny face was hidden behind a gruesome bronze plated skull face-guard and the leather cap had bright red plum that gave her another half a foot in height.
Old Man Thane grabbed his small pack and put on the simple leather vest and coat that Zeek had cut into three days past. Petra fell in line behind him as he opened the door and walked out into the courtyard of the monastery.
Before Thane stood over sixty individuals. Of the sixty plus assembled peoples, four seemed of note. Of course Zeek was one of them, as he stood at the front between two men and in front of a girl. The girl standing behind Zeek had dyed hair the color purple and was not much taller than Petra. A man bearing full plate armor and the crest of Loylel stood to Zeek’s left. However what pulled at Thane’s attention was the slender balding man to Zeek’s right.
The slender man wore a beggars garb but hid most of it under a coat bearing the markings of a legendary pirate captain. Thane knew of the jacket by descriptions shared with him twelve years back. It was said he survived forty mutinies in a single voyage, before parting ways and oddly enough being thanked by the very same crew. Many, many tales on what transpired, but Old Man Thane could never find the truth in any one of them.
Thane couldn’t help himself; he had intended to surprise Zeek by showing off his sister in an equally ridiculous and inspiring outfit. However, he may finally get answers that would help close out one of his records. Closing an open record and gaining core class experience was causing his left foot to excitedly tap the ground. Thane did his best to remember the moment he had planned and stepped to the side allowing all to see the short silhouette of Petra behind him.
Petra looked past Thane as he moved to the side seeing what seemed like hundreds of faces.
“Who!..” She shouted in surprise. Before it moved past her mask the voice shifted.
“Who! who! Who! who! Who!” The voice echoed five times hitting the ears of the crowd of refugees with a thundering growling voice.
Everyone stood in stunned silence at the echoing words.
an Owl?” Anders said softly peeking out from behind Zeek.
Immediately hearing Anders' questioning word in response to his sister, Zeek pressed tight his lips but could not help pushing some air and spittle out as he tried to remain silent.
On the other side of the courtyard, Anders still peering around Zeek noticed an old man in a leather vest and coat start to cackle and lean forward as if folding in half, as he attempted to remain on his feet. Zeek too began to wobble forward ever so slightly.
Petra looked at the stunned group as her brother and Old Man Thane attempted to compose themselves.
“Speak softly dear, the skull will carry your words. The louder you are the more it will echo” Thane whispered to her.
Petra calmed herself, she began to notice the many young faces as they shared fear and wonder in their expressions. She turned her head back towards her brother and lowered her voice “Explain why you thought it a good idea to bring so many mouths to our monastery?”
Zeek wasn’t sure how to explain so much in woodland hand signals so he simply turned around and pointed at Anders.
“Me? You want me to explain to that skull faced thing and its old man?” Anders ask
“Boys has a sharp point there, if in any of we are to explain it yous gots the lip and tongue for its” Dale said as he couldn't help but notice the old man looking at him with glee.
Anders took Zeek's hand as she was not about to get closer without a protector or hostage depending on how things unfolded. Anders bowed slightly towards the skulled faced person who she thought may be the leader “So the boy found me in the midst of a dispute with the one of four goblins I had yet to kill. He leaped into the fight and finished the goblin off before I could convince it to take a bite of me. I gave him the name Knighty for his heroic deed though most of us call him the boy.”
“His name is Zeek and he is my younger brother.” Petra cut in with her growling voice.
“Yes, well Knighty Zeek led me south until we found the lot of these folk and ten fold more near a village Knighty... I mean Zeek was headed to. The Village lay in ruin sacked we think by themselves to slow the hordes of refugees fleeing the East…”
Anders continued on telling Petra and Thane of the invasion of the Eastern city-states by a red furred horde and the fall of the city Revena to the North by Frost Riders and their scales.
When Anders got to the point where Zeek had his face beaten by the First Blade everyone was shocked to see Zeek give two big thumbs up and move forward to hug the little leader of the monastery. Zeek lifting her off the ground as the Petra pushed off her helm to reveal a pretty teenage girl with puffy eyes. She snuggled her nose into her younger brothers neck as she told him how proud she was.
Petra let go of her brother and leaned down to grab her discarded helm as she looked at the crowd standing in awe.
“My brother was sent on the words of the Keeper of Time, the old man there, and I. We had hoped the trip would be a catalyst to unlock a core class. My brother is young, but times are tough and we no longer have our parents to rely on. I’m very proud of him and so very happy he returned not just with a core class but with so many friends as well.”