Spring 38 YR 331
Opal shivered as she lifted her blanket closer to her chin. One last night on the road. That's all it should take before making it to Port Lysren. She rolled closer to the small fire trying to maintain the little bit of warmth she had in the small camp. She always found it hard to sleep in the make shift camps, with a group of traveling families and merchants. The night dragged on and eventually she drifted off to sleep.
She didn't dream often, at least not since she was a child. But just as it had come in the months before she felt a soft breeze, then the darkness faded into mist and smoke. Green and purple tendrils of light surrounding her, a beautiful aurora in the sky above and field of grain at her feet. Then a boy stood before her. Always the same. He had a mop of light brown hair that fell just above his eyes, one eye completely normal, the other reptilian. He hobbled as he walked forward, a warm smile on his face. He looked to be maybe ten, but she really couldn't tell based on his features.
Finally, a feminine voice whispered, "Protect him. Keep him safe. Remember, he holds answers to the questions most dear. Now go, find him. You are so close."
Spring 39 YR 331
Opal sat in the small café, resting up against the back wall. It had been a long day, and she was ready for a nap. Probably a good time to start trying to find the nearest inn to get a room for the night. The bell at the counter rang and she glanced over to see a boy that barely stood taller than the counter. He was standing on top toes to see the register. She watched as the boy paid an entire gold for a stale bread bowl with soup.
He hobbled over the high top near the window. She watched curiously as he hopped onto the chair. He rubbed his hands together as he eyed the bowl. He lifted the bowl to his mouth and took a bite. Her brows furrowed as he gnawed on the bowl. She wasn't the only one watching him. His behavior had seemed to catch the attention of many in the café.
Within a few minutes he was done and hobbling off the chair. Opal felt her necklace cool against her skin and she suddenly realized that she knew that boy. The voice shot into her head, "Protect him."
She couldn't stop herself from following, she tried to stay about thirty feet back and acted as though she just happened to be heading in the same direction. After a few blocks she saw the boy do a quick check behind him and then quicken his pace. She muttered under her breath, she was caught. Time for some quick thinking.
She approached the boy, "Are you ok?" She tried. "You looked a little lost." Damn she knew she sounded creepy, but she knew that something bad was going to happen and she needed to make sure this kid was safe.
"I'm looking for someone to help me talk to my parents," he stated. "I'm T'hih-me by the way!" This kid had obviously never been told not to talk to strangers. Or maybe he really did know that she was here to help him.
"I can help you find someone," she glanced around the square they were stopped in. "Do you remember where your parents live?"
"Nope!" He exclaimed as he continued walking down the street.
Her brows furrowed, "Do you know who your parents are?" She asked as she followed.
He shook his head, "When I was traveling here a camper told me that someone in Port Lysren would know how to contact my parents."
"Do you know the contact's name?" She asked.
"I forgot it," he stated his voice unwavering.
She opened her mouth to say something, but closed it again. No wonder this kid needed protection. She continued to walk alongside him for about another block. He paused in the street once more and made a 180 turn heading back the way they came. He started heading into stores asking random shopkeepers if they could help him find his parents. Each one glanced at Opal with a quizzical look then back at the boy before ignoring his question. It didn't seem to phase the kid.
Finally, they stepped into a beautiful store with herbs hanging from the ceiling, yarns of different color and size across the room. A little bell rang as they stepped into the door. At the counter sat a rat with white fur and a brown spot on her back. She appeared to be counting the coin that had been left by the last customer.
"I'll be right out!" A woman's voice called from the hall behind the counter.
T'hih-me stepped up to the counter rocking back and forth as he waited patiently. Opal strolled through the shop examining the wares. She heard shuffling at the register and made her way back up by T'hih-me. A young woman in her mid to late twenties, was heading up to the counter. Her auburn hair pulled back into beautiful braids, her clothes finer than most in this part of town. She furrowed her brow slightly as she glanced between the odd pair.
"Welcome to Idunn's Garden," she said warmly. "My name is Gudrun. How can I help you?" She scanned both of them, her brows furrowing ever so slightly when her eyes landed on Opal.
"I'm T'hih-me!" The boy exclaimed. "Can I use your bathroom?" She gave a hesitant nod, glancing back up to Opal who just shrugged.
Opal watched as T'hih-me made his way behind the counter. Her focus not on the woman that ran the shop. Gudrun cleared her throat catching Opal's attention once more.
"Does he just need to use the restroom or was there another reason you both came into my shop?" She asked, her hand reaching for something in her pocket.
Opal shrugged, "We've been going from shop to shop trying to find someone to help this kid talk with his parents." Gudrun tilted her head. "He said that they don't live in town. He said he had a contact somewhere in the city that could help him. I'm Opal by the way."
Gudrun pulled her hand from her pocket and took a seat in the stool by the counter. "Alright Opal...and how do you know this kid?"
Opal stammered, "We, uh..." she paused and her shoulders sagged slightly. "I saw him at the café trying to eat a bread bowl...This kid needs all the help he can get."
A loud smack caught their attention.
"Ow..." the boy's voice was pitiful as he picked himself off the floor.
In front of him stood a female tabaxi carrying a large stack of boxes. She huffed as she adjusted her grip on the stack and stepped over the boy on the floor. She walked right past the counter to the darker corner of the shop and deposited her boxes before heading back to Gudrun her hand outstretched waiting for payment.
"Well, Edge, you could have been a little nicer to my guests." She smirked as she handed the tabaxi the coin due.
Edge glanced at the two others in the shop and then back to Gudrun, "You're forgetting something."
"Oh, was that today?" She glanced at the rat sitting next to the register. "Mette, how could you let me forget?" The rat shrugged in response, its whiskers twitching ever so slightly. "I haven't even milked Henry today," she sighed. "If you wait a few minutes I will have the cream ready for you."
Edge glanced around the store quickly, shrugged, grabbed a paper from the nearby stand and took a seat at the "break" table off in the corner.
"Give me a moment," Gudrun smiled at T'hih-me as she began to walk away.
"Wait!" He exclaimed. "Can you help me talk with my parents?"
She had her hand on the doorknob, "Are your parents dead?" She asked plainly.
He frowned, "I don't think so. Why?"
She clicked her tongue, "I don't really have any magics like 'sending' per say. I don't think my means of communication will really work with you know 'living people'."
"Can we at least try?" T'hih-me asked. "Nothing else has worked." A hint of sadness laced his words.
Gudrun released the handle and turned the sign on her door to read "closed". She sighed, "We can try. But no promises, buddy."
"I'm not buddy," he stated, "my name is T'hih-me." Gudrun glanced back at Opal again, but the young woman didn't seem to notice.
"Well T'hih-me," she grabbed a few herbs from the ceiling and a candle from the shelf, "do you have anything that belonged to your parents?"
T'hih-me nodded as he patted his pockets and pulled out a beautiful crystal orb with rainbow bismuth inside. "This is my dad!" He smiled.
Gudrun leaned over to Opal, "That's his dad?" She questioned in a hushed whisper.
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"I mean he seems to think it is," she replied with equal confusion.
"Alrighty then," Gudrun tried to give her best smile. "Edge, you joining us?" She asked as she began lighting the candles and herbs.
Edge shrugged as she put the paper down, "Anything has got to be more interesting than this."
Opal watched curiously as Gudrun lit the candles. She noted the placement of each item on the table in front of them, the candles and herbs making a small circle with the orb sitting in the center. Gudrun reached out to the others and gestured for everyone to take each other's hands.
"I don't like holding hands," T'hih-me stated as he shied away from the group, holding his one reptilian arm with his "human" arm.
"Would you be ok if Mette held your hand?" Gudrun asked quietly.
T'hih-me thought for a moment before nodding and stepping back up to the table. He let Mette rest her little paw on his reptilian arm and then reached for Opal with his other hand. "You can hold this hand," he smiled. Opal returned the smile and took his hand in hers.
Once they were all sitting around the table, hand in hand, Gudrun began to meditate. Edge and T'hih-me immediately followed Gudrun's example closing their eyes. Opal on the other hand felt a little uneasy. After a moment or two she followed, closing her eyes as well. They sat in silence for quite a while before Gudrun finally opened her eyes with a sigh.
"T'hih-me," she started, "I don't think it worked."
"I think it did!" He stated.
She gave him a quizzical look, "I didn't see or hear anyone. I just saw some sort of stained glass...It reminded me of a church or temple."
"That's him!" He exclaimed a smile spreading on his face. "That's my dad."
"T'hih-me, buddy..." Gudrun started but was cut short by a loud crash outside her shop.
The group made their way quickly to the window. "Looks like a wagon wallop." Gudrun sighed as she reached for the door. "Someone may need assistance."
As the door to the street opens, the group is able to hear the semi-calm arguments from the two drivers. They seemed to be close to coming to an agreement when a group of mercenaries walked up.
Opal watched from the window of Gudrun's shop as the mercs began to pester the drivers. Her eyes widened as the mercenary closest to the "at fault" driver, turned and punched him. The man stumbled back and fell to the ground, holding his face in his hands. She quickly ran outside to help the man back to his feet, just as Gudrun, thankfully, gained the attention of the mercs.
"Let me help you," Opal stated as she reached out her hand to the driver. As he took her hand in his she let her healing magic rush toward him. The man sighed in relief as his cuts began to heal and the blood dried.
"Thank you," he muttered as he looked up in awe.
"Opal, T'hih-me," Gudrun called. "Can you guys help get this place cleaned up?" They nodded.
T'hih-me immediately went to work mending the broken bottles that had fallen into the street. Opal quickly organized a group to help her lift the tipped cart back onto its wheels. She then helped T'hih-me load the repaired bottles back into said cart. Edge and Gudrun were conversing with the drivers, getting them to come to some kind of agreement on the cause of the wagon wallop. By the time Opal and T'hih-me had finished cleaning up, the driver at fault was apologizing and offering a few coins to the other.
"Those mercs are horrible!" Gudrun exclaimed as they all gathered back in her small shop. "Apparently there is a decreefrom the Town Guard that The Sword's Brand is in charge of all disputes that happen here in Kjemper's Tooth. That is unacceptable. The Town Guard are bad enough, I won't let a merc group destroy my neighborhood." She huffed as she fell into a chair at the table.
"What's wrong with Town Guard?" Opal asked a small frown on her face.
"Corruption, extorsion, etcetera, etcetera." She sighed.
Opal's frown deepened, "Not all Town Guard are corrupt." Edge and Gudrun eyed Opal suspiciously.
"Anyway," Gudrun stated. "Why don't we," she gestured between herself and Edge, "settle this issue of The Sword's Brand? We could get a petition together, I know plenty of people in the neighborhood that would sign it."
"A petition, seriously?" Edge scoffed. "You are going to need more than a fucking petition." T'hih-me cringed at her language. "I think I actually know someone who might be able to help us with this issue. We might be able to enlist her help."
Gudrun jumped back up from the table a smile on her face, "Let's show these mercs not to mess with people of Kjemper's Tooth! Who's in?" She glanced at Edge then Opal and T'hih-me. "I mean you guys don't live here, so I guess you don't really have to help if you don't want to."
Opal hesitated as she thought of the options, she didn't want to get mixed up in anything too dangerous, and she really needed to keep this kid safe.
"I'm in!" T'hih-me smiled. "Those mercs were not nice at all. They should get swooped up." Gudrun eyed the kid and then let her gaze land back on Opal.
"I guess I'm in too," she sighed.
...
It was starting to get dark as they made their way to the nicer part of town. Edge had mentioned her contact, Eira Ellingboe, had made multiple comments recently about how The Sword's Brand mercs were a menace to society. Edge reported that she had not spoken to Eira directly but had made many deliveries to the property and heard of her stance through the servants on her grounds.
The group stopped outside the gate to the sizably estate. Edge rang the bell and a servant quickly escorted the group inside. He smiled warmly as he surveyed them.
"How may I help you this evening?" He asked cautiously. "The lady of the house is quite busy and we were not expecting visitors."
Gudrun nodded in understanding, "We will be quick then. We would like to help take care of the issue that is the Sword's Brand." The man nodded and left them sitting in the foyer.
Gudrun glanced at her party member's wandering eyes and cleared her throat. "We need to be on our best behavior. Do not touch anything." Opal pulled her hand away from a very shiny object and frowned.
Within just a few minutes the servant was back, "My name is Dean. Allow me to escort you to the Lady of the house." The group followed quickly as they were led through the beautiful home.
They eventually found themselves in an exquisite dining room with a long table in the center. Sitting at the head of the table was an older tabaxi woman. She had white fur with grey stripes. Her eyes a piercing blue. She glanced up from her work momentarily to wave the group into the room. Dean bowed and took his leave from the room.
Miss Eira Ellingboe did not stand from her seat and she did not motion for the group to sit. She sighed heavily, "How can I help you this fine evening?"
"We actually would like to help you," Edge stated.
"See we have had some unfortunate runs in with the Sword's Brand and we would like to put a stop to this nonsense," Gudrun stated as Opal and T'hih-me nodded in agreement.
Eira looked them over, "Before I can trust you to take down the Sword's Brand, I need a favor." She glanced at her work spread across the table. "I sent a dear friend on a mission a few days ago, Stein. He went searching for answers regarding the Sword's Brand in the Brig Ward. If you can find Stein, figure out what is in the warehouse, and locate the source of funding for the Sword's Brand then I will be able to take it from there."
"Do you know anything about Stein's movements within the Brig Ward?" Gudrun asked and Eira shook her head. "How many days ago did he go into the Brig Ward?"
Eira sighed, "Two days ago. We have had no contact since he left."
Gudrun glanced around her group, "We will find Stein. You have our word." Opal, T'hih-me, and Edge nodded in agreement.
"Thank you," she smiled ever so slightly. "I will be here when you have completed our task." With that they were effectively dismissed from the room. Dean quickly escorted them back out toward the street.
"Off to the Brig Ward?" Gudrun asked the group. Edge nodded.
"We've come this far," Opal sighed. "May as make sure you don't get caught." She glanced around, "What way do we need to go?"
Gudrun and Edge led the way toward the Brig Ward, Port Lysren's known warehouse district. Opal used her magic to obscure them slightly, making it easier for them to blend into the surroundings. The walk toward the Brig Ward at this time of night should have been fairly uninterrupted, but as luck would have it, they found themselves approaching a large commotion. As they approached the torch light, they quickly noted that there was a heavy guard and Sword's Brand presence.
Opal could feel Gudrun leave the zone of her magic, but the woman didn't seem to have any trouble getting closer without being noticed. They listened and watched from a distance as the guards investigated a murder scene in a nearby alley. Soon enough Gudrun was back with the group, she pulled them to a nearby shop. The Olde Wolf's Den was an eclectic shop with antiques and novelty items.
"The murder in the alley was done by the Sword's Brand and they are trying to cover it up," Gudrun sighed. "They left so many tracks and clues, but because they are the Sword's Brand it is going to get swept under the rug."
Opal watched as Gudrun pulled Edge further into the shop hoping to find the shopkeep so they could get on the roof. She turned just in time to see T'hih-me reach out to touch the only thing in the shop with an explicit "Do Not Touch" sign.
"What you think your doing?" An unfamiliar voice rasped from the corner of the room.
T'hih-me and Opal glanced around to see a deep gnome standing in the shadows, a long deep scar running from his ribcage across his abdomen, his eyes a glimmering yellow.
"I wasn't doing anything," T'hih-me's hands fell to his sides quickly. The gnome stepped out of the shadows eyeing T'hih-me. "No funny business here."
The gnome huffed and began walking toward the back of the shop where Gudrun and Edge now stood. Opal glanced back toward T'hih-me to see him reaching back up toward the taxidermy wolf in the window. Her arm flew out and she pulled T'hih-me by the scruff of his neck.
"It says, don't touch." She stated as she pulled him away from the wolf.
"It looks so real!" His hand began reaching out again.
"Stop it..." Opal groaned as she began pulling the boy toward Gudrun and Edge.
"What are you two doing?" Gudrun snapped catching both of their attention. They didn't answer. "We are heading up to the roof."
Opal and T'hih-me quickly followed behind Gudrun while Edge disappeared into the night. Gudrun eyed her company and sighed loudly.
"What?" Opal asked.
Gudrun glanced at her, frustrated. "Uffe, let us know that Stein was here a few days ago."
"Uffe?" T'hih-me asked.
"The shopkeep," Gudrun stated. "He said that Stein went down to the inn just around the corner. Edge is on her way there now to get some intel. I am stuck here babysitting you guys."
"Babysitting?" T'hih-me and Opal asked in unison.
Gudrun nodded as she glanced in the direction that Edge was heading. "Now keep your guard up. We don't want Edge getting in a sticky situation because I was stuck babysitting..."
Opal huffed and crossed her arms as she watched Edge run through the alley and then disappear into the Double Horn Inn. She paced the roof top as they waited for Edge to reemerge from the building. She made quick work of it. After about fifteen minutes, Edge was leaving the inn and heading back to Uffe's shop.
She made her way up to the rooftop a smug smile on her face. "I got the location." She handed Gudrun a crumpled note. "They said he was meeting with Frey Bell, a Sword's Brand Sympathizer in the Warehouse district."
Gudrun smoothed the note and smiled, "Just got to find the warehouse with this symbol."
Opal and T'hih-me followed behind Gudrun and Edge as they made their way to the Brig Ward, Port Lysren's warehouse district. A haze hung over this part of town making it difficult to see. Gudrun stopped as they approached a large warehouse with a singular exterior door, a light hanging on either side, and two guards, one on either side of the door. They had not seemed to notice the group yet.
Gudrun muttered something under her breath and the guards slumped against the wall. Opal's jaw dropped as she watched both men slip slowly to the ground. Edge and T'hih-me were by the door first followed by Opal and Gudrun.
"Try to be really quiet..." Gudrun whispered.
T'hih-me opened the door slowly giving everyone a view of the inside of the warehouse. Bodies littered the floor, with a pile close to one side. The sound of flapping wings was the only thing to break the silence.
...