Name: Charisse Race: Human

Ht: 5’6, Wt: 130, Sex: Female,

Archetype: Rogue

HP: 7 / 7   Mana: 0 / 0

Stats:

Physical: 2, Moxie : 3, Spiritual: 2, Luck : 3,

Agility : 3, Magic : 2, Mental : 2, Energy : 2.

Relevant Skills: Agility - Jump, Archetype - Awareness

__________________

Charisse wished again for an item that'd grant her the ability to see in the dark. The rope around her waist linked her to Jax and Todd. She followed with one hand holding the line, the other outstretched in front of her. The bandits knew the route by memory, so they lead the adventurers through the dark tunnel.

Thump! A wall of metal plates bumped into her outstretched hand.

"Sorry, Jax," Charisse said. "At least a single torch, please." The darkness didn't answer back, just quiet shuffling of feet. "A candle?"

"Creatures that eat light reside in these tunnels. Only in complete darkness and silence can we pass through safely." A soft voice hissed near Charisse's ear.

The rope halted the ascent of her jump. Biting her lip and any response, she resumed following Jax with one hand out, one on the cable. The dagger she had hidden sheathed under her bodice almost whispered to her, "in this darkness, no one will know." But she resisted the urge in part because they were so far from the glade, it'd take the group weeks to get back to her.

A flickering light came into view as she rounded a corner. The tiny dot would alternate between dimming, going out, and shining. As they walked toward it, the light grew, and the shadows of people walking through it caused the oscillation. Fighting the urge to run toward it, Charisse looked around to see if she could identify the person who spoke to her.

Unable to locate a shape or shadow near her, that she could attribute to someone other than Jax or Todd, Charisse focused on watching the exit. Everyone in a single file, ten distinct shapes ahead of Jax, and an unknown amount behind them. From the light around people, as they exited, she guessed it was not very wide.

Minutes later, Jax paused before stepping forward, turning sideways due to his broad armored shoulders. Charisse tried to see around him, but the light was just too bright. The rope ahead tugged once Jax was through, she stepped forward, her smaller frame fitting comfortably through. The light blinded her briefly as her eyes adjusted from pitch black to bright daylight.

Jax's armor and polished chunks of glass were the first things to come into focus for Charisse. The bright light came in from above, millions of shining, sparkling motes of light hung overhead. Averting her eyes as the sun burned her retinas, she was pushed forward from someone behind her.

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"Gawd," Todd said, throwing up a hand to cover his eyes. "Anyone have sunglasses?"

Charisse stepped forward to stand next to Jax and allow Todd to move, and others to come in behind him. Fourteen bandits stood around, two far upfront, out of the shining column of light, but still visible as glass on the walls reflected the sunlight down the hallway. Jagged bits of glass and crystal-lined the walls fifty feet away sparked and reflected. The ground coated in fine sand with the occasional large shard poking out. Behind Todd, another three people exited, the older woman the last to emerge.

"Is all of this glass?" Jax said. He knelt and picked up a handful of sand, letting it flow through his fingers.

Charisse knelt down and gently placed her hand on the sand. It felt warm and smooth to the touch. A couple of bandits also kneel in the sand. She stood up and leaned her head toward Todd.

"Don't take any, never know if there is something like Pele's curse on these," Charisse said.

"Didn't plan on it," Todd said, he nudged Charisse and motioned toward the kneeling bandits. "A holy place?"

"Not sure, hopefully, Jax doesn't take offense," Charisse said. Someone cleared their throat behind them, drawing Charisse's attention. The older woman was standing close to Todd and Charisse.

"They are thanking the gods for allowing them to return to their families. The world is a dangerous place." The lady said before moving past them and joining the kneeling bandits.

Tugging on the rope, pulled Charisse forward as Jax moved to the kneeling people. She didn't resist, but as Jax knelt next to the other kneeling people, she knelt as well. A wave of peace and calm washed through her, instinctively she glanced at Jax, but it didn't twist her stomach in knots like Jax's calm did of late.

"Just a game," Charisse thought as she waited for Jax to stand. Untying the rope crossed her mind, but so far, the bandits were treating them kindly; she didn't want to escalate things.

"Is it just a game?" A deep but soft voice said.

Charisse's glanced around; no one was near her except Jax and Todd. Looking down at the sand, she saw some light reflecting from above. Looking upward, she squinted at the column of glass and light above.

"If that helps you, then ok, but you don't have to look up into the light." The deep voice said.

"Holy," Charisse said but quickly closed her mouth before she finished speaking the words. "Who are you and what are you doing in my head?" she thought.

"You are in my home, the Sparkling Peaks, home of Haltheen," the voice mentally rumbled.

"And you are?" Charisse thought.

The sand and walls rumbled around everyone. Little waves rippled through the floor, radiating outward from Charisse as if some force slammed down and hit only the sand. She quickly brushed a hand across the floor, to erase the circles near her.

"My name is spoken every time justice is met upon those who have escaped it. My blessings, a curse upon those who wrong the weak. My…"

"I don't need a sales pitch, so you're a god of justice." Charisse said, "now get out of my head."

"Insolent, you dare,"

"God and gods don't exist." Charisse said, then added, "At least where I come from."

"You deny what is in front of you!"

"Yeah, this is a fucked up game we got pulled into, once we are done we go back to normal life in the real world."

"If supernatural beings and such do not exist in your world, then how did you end up in this one?"

Charisse paused and worked on a reply. A deep laugh echoed in her mind. "Go talk to Jax, he's the religious guy, leave me alone."

"He is claimed by another,"

"Fine, gods exist, I got other things to worry about."

"If you hurt my people, I'll make sure you never return to your 'Real World.'" The voice said. Charisse waited for more from the voice but received only more silence.

Several of the bandits who were not kneeling were looking in Charisse's direction. Todd was also kneeling nearby, eyes upon her.

"I think I just spoke to a god," Charisse said.

"Yeah, me too, I chased him off with Baby Shark," Todd said.

"Is that wise?"

"Probably not, but if he were the smiting type, we'd be dead already." Todd looked toward Jax, who still knelt on the ground nearby. "I'll leave the divine communication to the guy with the unlimited calling plan."

A few more minutes in silence passed before some of the bandits started standing. The older lady and Jax stood, then Charisse and Todd. Leading the group out of the bright room, Charisse took once last look at the room and thought, "I'm sorry for being glib, this is just too much right now."

With only the silence of her thoughts, she followed Jax, barely stopping before running into him. Stepping to the side to go around her friend, she stopped to take in the sight before her.

The stone opened up to a valley. A sloping ramp thirty feet wide followed the walls down into the trees. Blue sky dotted with some clouds filled the opening above. Cliff's of stone towered above, surrounding the valley. Squinting upward, she could see snow coating the tips.

"Welcome to our home, Shattered Peak." The older lady said to Jax. "You no longer need the ropes, but please stay together. Until the council decides, we cannot allow you to go wandering off."

"Even if we did, wandering through the cave in the dark doesn't sound very fun," Charisse said. She reached down and started working at the knot, tying the rope around her waist. Jax finished his first and handed her his section of rope. Charisse coiled it and took Todd's part as well, then carried it on her shoulder.