Jor’s head felt like he had been drinking goblin whisky as he struggled to sit, rubbing his face as he looked around to try and orient himself. Eyes creaking he looked around to find himself inside a dilapidated shack of some kind of eerie moonlight flickering through the loose boards that would have once counted as shutters. The smell of mold and dust wafered across his senses as he looked around.
As his eyes adjusted to the dark he could see a figure on the other side of the room, a gray haired middle aged man, scars like spider webs across his face, burn marks across his throat and neck like something had grabbed him. Even without the man's eyes open he could tell that whoever this is, must be exhausted and in pain from those scars.
Struggling to stand he looked to the side of the broken bed that he had been resting on, Jor saw his armor and weapons to the side of the bed, feeling the slight warmth and aching throbbing pain from his arms. He knew that he had over used his powers. Something he hadn't used in years since he learnt from his mother. Hoping his teacher had not left him behind or something he stumbled over to the old man.
“Excuse me good sir” Jor whispered, trying not to frighten the man, “Have you seen my companion? Tall dark brooding” as the man's eyes fluttered open the cold and piercing blue eyes gazed upon him like it was steering into his soul. “Huh. Good you are up, wasted enough time as it is” grunted the very recognisable voice of Lord Mez.
Jor jolted in surprise “My lord? You.. ah… look different”, Kalid standing stretching his body stood up looking down at his apprentice “of course I don't, I don't always wear armor” answered Kalid. While standing above Jor, Kalid glanced quickly across Jors body checking the bandaged wounds that it seemed like Jor was completely ignoring. “Hows your wounds Jor?, one of those undead slashed you earlier”
Jor furrowing his brows finally looked down to his arm and leg seeing bandages with darkened blood on them, “Ohh, I…ah… don't even feeling them at the moment my Lord” Jor rubbing the arm slightly “When i use my… ah… that energy it increases my natural healing so..” as he removed the bandage showing a slightly old scar now showing across his arm.
“So what was that anyway, you some kind of priest or blessed?” queried Kalid as he sat back down checking his arms and armor. Jor walking back to the bed he had been resting in sat back down, taking a deep breath he started “Its something my mother taught me before she passed, she always seemed to know things, she took me to and old temple to the Goddess Eskmina and taught me the prays and teachings of their faith” explained Jor “I’m not really a follower or anything but ever since she showed me this i've just had these powers that i couldn't really explain”
Kalid, thinking with a furrowed brow, tried to remember anything he knew about this god, not too much from his own experiences but he did remember some small things. “ She's some kind of Fate and Justice goddess right?”. Jor smiled slightly “Yea she's the one of the elven gods holding over Fate and Justice”, Jor panicking stated “ though she's not just an elven god, there are many races that worship her”
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Kalid chuckled to himself “Don’t worry boy, I'm not like some of those idiots in the Iron Guard hating on anything elven, I follow the original precepts of the Empire”. Jor thinking to himself Quoted as per he was trained to “All for the sake of the Empire, no matter the source” Proud and happy that Jor had been able to remember Kalid showed a rare smile “Aye no matter the source”
The two spent the next few hours resting and keeping guard into the night; it was not till the early morning that both were armed and armored themselves up, setting out of the small shack and moving back towards the road and back towards the ambush they had removed. Moving back there they saw a scene that neither expected to see. They saw a young woman, red-haired and in a dirty brown cloak.
Jor instantly recognising the movements of his teacher prepared himself incase combat was required. Kalid himself now fully armored and re-masked he walked toward this young woman. “Hello to the road! I come forward without arms” Kaild yelled as he moved forwards and back into the clearing of the road, both his arms in the air slightly so as to not startle this young woman.
Seeing the young woman spin around a dagger in each hand both Jor and Kalid tensed and prepared themselves for battle. Now facing their faces they could see that only her hair and eyes were showing the rest of her body was covered in studded leather armor and a slight blue tattoo going through her right eye, the purple eyes staring back at them with suspicion and wariness.
“Who are ya? Name yerselves” the women responded daggers raised slightly and legs slightly bent. Kalid watching her movement and stance realized that this woman was highly trained and ready to kill. Stepping forward he said with a clear voice “We are weary travelers, who had been ambushed on the roads by this very trap we now stand in”. Kalid, trying to seem less threatening, stated “And may I know who we are speaking to?”
The Lady, slightly lowering her daggers “Sigrud, Sigrud of Gormnim”, Relaxing slightly moving his hands closer to the side Kalid looked towards Sigrud “I thank you Sigrud of Gormnim, for not raising your weapons against us, it is nice to know that there are kind people on these roads still”
“Not for te lack of trien I see” stated Sigrud pointing to the bodies laying strewn across the area.
Kalid moving towards the bodies nodded “Yes it was quite unfortunate what happened to these people, We.. my apprentice and I” while pointing to Jor “Were traveling down and saw the bodies. We attempted to check if there was any survivors but it seems like a Necromancer was abound, as soon as we arrived the rose from the dead to attack us.
At the word necromancer Kalid could see that Sigruds eyes flashed in anger and hatred but bounced back to normal in an instant. Sigrud looked towards Jor and Kalid, taking in both their armor and arms, looked to be contemplating something as she cleared her throat slightly as she started to propose, “ye look like, competent warriors, I hae a proposal for ye, I ben tracking that bastard that ben making the dead move, I know where he is but I don think that I can take him and his bois by meself, ya help take out his men and ill owe ye one”
Kalid taking in the proposal thought to himself and looked toward young Jor, seeing the bright eyes and straight forward look he was holding Kalid sighed to himself as he looked towards Sigrud, “I think we can help one another, Sigrud of Gormnim but we may require your assistance to acquire faster transport as payment”. At that statement Sigrud removed the cloth covering the bottom of her face revealing a pale white skin and small cut across her lips, showing a grin with full teeth. “Aye we don have some of da best beasts of travel in ta area, I promise ye if ya elp me take down this Necro yall have some of me families trained beasts”
Reaching forward Kalid and Sigrud shaked hands, while Jor looked on hearing Kalid state “We have a deal Sigrud of Gormnim”.