Aisha’s adrenaline slowly dissipated as the party hit the road again. Nerves overreacted to any unknown sound that surrounded the party. The only reason she didn’t jump to attack was the calm reactions of her allies. Sariel stayed up ahead with Vofric and Avant on either side of her. Kargon provided rearguard while Aisha focused on calming down between everyone. While part of her was upset that she was reacting in such a way, another was proud. Being able to converse with Aeraza was something she never imagined possible. But even thinking of him by his name felt like a step forward. She wouldn’t freeze near him again. Though she wasn’t sure if that meant she’d fight him either.
As she was lost in thought she felt a presence around her right hand. With a smooth motion, Kargon slipped his left hand into hers and squeezed tightly before letting go. Normally the pressure would be minimal but he passed a wave of heat through it that comforted Aisha. A soft smile passed her lips that he reciprocated before returning to his guard duty. Both knew that she wouldn’t immediately feel better but the gesture was appreciated.
The group would have remained on the path if not for Sariel and Avant turning their attention towards the plains around them. In the distance was a high sheer cliff that cast a shadow over the area left of the road. Stones resembling those atop the precipice were partially buried in the land from falling long ago. Boulders and uneven terrain created cover that made even the flattest land harder to examine. The awkward angles even made Sariel’s aerial view less effective.
Whether it was due to his animalistic nature or being close to the ground, Avant was the first to notice a trail hidden in the dry grass. Long brown needles were speared into the ground every few feet. Mistakenly stepping on one sent a shock of pain through his paw. Pulling back only brought the needle with him and caused him to stumble into another one. It would have been upsetting if not for the confused trill Avant kept making. Aisha chuckled at the sight and though that brightened the owlbear’s mood, it didn’t help his predicament. Kargon stepped up to assist with safely pulling each needle out.
The trail ended at the foot of a large porcupine. Spiked fur all over its body was covered in specks of blood. It watched the group with an intense gaze, making sure they remained at a distance. Somehow it produced a similar aura to Avant even at half his size. His hide bristled as he puffed up to scare it away. Normally that worked on smaller creatures but the spike ridden animal only reacted in kind. Before anyone could attack, Sariel held out a hand in front of Avant. Then, she lifted it up in a sign that communicated she had no intent to attack.
As she dropped to her knee she said, “We mean you no harm. Please, guide us to your master so we may assist them.”
She looked back at her party and nodded slowly. In turn they put their hands at their sides. Even if they wouldn’t attack immediately, it would be foolish not to be prepared.
The porcupine studied the odd elf and her draconic mutations. After nearly a minute of silent introspection, it turned away. Its steps were slow and deliberate. Every few paces it would turn back to make sure the others were still following without weapons drawn. Thankfully heightened senses were hard to notice. But Sariel repeatedly confirmed only hearing the ragged breath of an individual they were nearing.
A large stone she’d seen from afar was their destination. The hidden side had a small indent with dirt dug out. It was large enough for a small humanoid to take shelter. By the sight of the woman inside, it seemed she planned to make it her grave. A large gash cut from one shoulder to the opposite leg. Her consciousness was quickly fading from the massive amount of blood loss. Vofric momentarily hesitated and looked to Aisha to confirm his next move. With what just happened it was possible this person was related to Aeraza. On the other hand, she could be a simple traveler. The final possibility slipped Aisha’s mind at that moment. She cared more about keeping the wounded woman alive.
There was no hesitation as the Hero said, “Heal her.”
Vofric stepped forward but was blocked by the angered porcupine. Even Sariel couldn’t calm it down with a sudden command.
“Spike, stop being… dramatic. Let him… heal me,” the woman choked out.
As soon as the porcupine moved, Vofric rushed forward. Golden light burst from his palms and encompassed the tired warrior. The amount of mana necessary to seal the wound was already astounding. But even the healer was surprised by how much was expended by the time the woman finally opened her eyes with renewed vigor. Vofric stepped out of the alcove to give room to his patient. Spike took his place to check on the woman. Her rugged hand brushed his quills and calmed the flood of nerves in the small beast. With a groan the woman rose to her feet and stepped out of the shadows.
The first thing almost everyone noticed was the blood covering her entire body. Whatever had attacked her nearly ended her life. Sariel, on the other hand, noticed the short woman’s hair. It was identical to the porcupine’s hide and extended just beyond her neck. Pointed ears made it clear she was a half-elf though what her other half was seemed like an uncomfortable topic.
“It’s porcupine, obviously,” she said as she studied the gaze of her saviors.
Sariel twitched as realization dawned. She hesitantly stated, “You were mutated against your will.”
“My parents, actually. At least I assume so since they were never around. Otherwise I’d probably go by something other than Freckle.”
“Freckle,” Aisha muttered as she took notice of the faint pattern across Freckle’s face. “You’re pretty open about your past with strangers.”
“Strangers who saved my life. Strangers who are either the Hero and her party or I’m very bad at interpreting information from my allies,” Freckle said nonchalantly. “I knew you were wandering around Ionzel but didn’t think you’d be so close.”
Kargon held up a fiery hand defensively and stopped the conversation.
“You heard about us from your allies,” he said. “Not the news, your allies. There are only two groups you could be part of. Which one do you belong to?”
His words triggered the party’s defensiveness as they moved to draw their weapons. Only Aisha remained still with her hand hovering near Valefor. It wouldn’t do to jump at an innocent for not knowing how to answer.
“You’re a lot more cautious than even Rusty described.” A wide grin encompassed her small face. “I’m part of Barbatos. Now don’t ask me to prove it because Kira won’t take my advice about having a symbol we can show allies. The crafting costs alone are too much for her to even discuss it. Honestly, we have blacksmiths in our ranks who’d probably do it for free. Anyway, I’m one of you. On a technical level at least.”
Stating Kira’s never was the most obvious evidence the party needed. But they were slightly enamored by the flighty adventurer they’d come across. People had been downtrodden since the demon king’s castle crash landed. Moments ago Freckle was on the verge of death. Yet she smiled like she had no cares in the world.
“Aisha,” the Hero said and shook Freckle’s hand.
“No need for formalities, I know who you are,” the woman replied.
“Right. Do you mind if I ask what you’re doing out here? How’d you get so close to dying?”
Freckle paused and looked away as she scoured her memories for permission to speak about her missions. Whatever she found clearly agreed with the situation. A few steps brought her close to Aisha and the others encircled them.
“There’s a dungeon not too far from here,” Freckle whispered. “Based on my findings there should be an Artifact inside.”
A wave of surprise washed over the group. Repeated instances of unexpected information had steeled Aisha’s nerves to it. Even though she was still recovering from her talk with Aeraza, she was able to keep a straight face. The others took note and did their best to remain calm.
“Do you need help getting it?” Aisha asked.
Where she expected enthusiastic acceptance was instead careful suspicion. Freckle's smile did not waver but remained silent as her eyes flitted from one adventurer to the next. Spike slowly paced around the group waiting for his master’s instruction on whether to trust the party any further.
It dawned on Aisha that Artifacts needed to be monitored carefully regardless of who had them. Barbatos’s goals aligned with humanity but that didn’t mean they trusted everyone with tools that could change the course of history. It was the wise way of tackling such dangerous items.
Both women began to speak then stumbled. Aisha put out a hand and gestured for the other to start.
“I alerted Kira to my need for assistance,” Freckle said. “That was weeks ago and even with the less Void Storms no one has come this way. Normally I’d say you’re above doing a menial retrieval delve but you’re part of our guild. We’re all equals until the day Barbatos fulfills its purpose.
“Battle against the demon king,” Sariel muttered. “It is inevitable.”
“Exactly. So I’ll happily take the help in getting an upper hand against his army. Plus, if that dragonborn comes back, maybe we can deal with them.”
The words sent a shock through Kargon. All at once it felt like the scar across his face had reopened. The other marks remained undisturbed but his heart pounded wildly. Without realizing it his breath quickened. Rattling beads on his arms invited flames to burst forth. Thankfully his mind was in enough control to keep it contained to a single arm. That was the best he could do to stop from completely razing the dry field they stood in. With a shaky hand he pulled his goggles up and strapped them tightly around his eyes. Obviously it did nothing to the scar. But the less logical part of his brain was fooled into thinking the wound was closed from the tight binding.
“What… which Artifact did you… find? Any clues?” Kargon asked as he slowly regained composure.
“Judgement, the smiting tome,” Freckle answered. The sight of a panicked warrior was surprising but she was kind enough not to bring attention to it. “A group of half-elves crafted it so it is easily utilized by most inhabitants of the current world.”
“Are all of the Artifacts bound to the species that crafted them?” Vofric asked.
“Something like that. They’re best used by the current generation of that species.” Freckle hummed while deciding if she should continue her explanation. It wasn’t necessarily important but mentioning it could be helpful so she decided to press on. “Why do you think the demon king went in search for Great Sunderer?”
Sariel grumbled. “Was it not simply the first in his quest to seek out all the Artifacts?”
“Sure. We assume he wants all of them but there’s a reason he went for the sword.”
Aisha sighed heavily as realization dawned. “It was crafted by demons. The Great War had a lot of factions fighting each other. Demons might have lost the sword in Vethyea but it still reacts best to their descendent.”
“No,” Vofric interjected. “The Great War occurred 600 years ago. The demon king is no descendant. Rather, he is their ancestor. The sword was crafted for his use whether the creators knew it or not.”
Freckle gasped and said, “No wonder he found it so easily. They likely left clues for him to follow. The Artifacts were always rumored to return to the hands of their creators.” She nodded to Kargon and continued, “I mean, you’ve got Pyromanic. I have to assume some fire giant blood flows through you.”
The half-giant nodded in response. Though he’d accepted his origin for the sake of training, parts of it still confused him. Not that his father was the size of an average humanoid. Not that there were secrets kept from him all these years. Mainly that his mundane parents held onto an uber powerful magical item and gave it to him with little explanation. Then again, it was clear they trusted the journey to help him discover its true purpose.
“It’s not important though. We should focus on finding Judgement.” He rubbed a thumb against his forehead scar and continued, “Lead the way. Please.”
With a nod Freckle stepped out of the alcove and pressed forward. Spike stayed by her side and to much surprise, Avant followed. Something about the peculiar half-elf comforted and called to him. Though Sariel was ready for the quest, she was more focused on the mutant as well. Their differences spoke volumes as to how they viewed their accursed states of being. Vofric momentarily waited for the others but noticed Aisha signal him to leave. Once he was a few steps away she grabbed Kargon’s free hand and squeezed it. There was no smile but a look of conviction in her eyes. The firebrand couldn’t help but smile back. Both knew that was his own form of resolution.
Aisha’s adrenaline slowly dissipated as the party hit the road again. Nerves overreacted to any unknown sound that surrounded the party. The only reason she didn’t jump to attack was the calm reactions of her allies. Sariel stayed up ahead with Vofric and Avant on either side of her. Kargon provided rearguard while Aisha focused on calming down between everyone. While part of her was upset that she was reacting in such a way, another was proud. Being able to converse with Aeraza was something she never imagined possible. But even thinking of him by his name felt like a step forward. She wouldn’t freeze near him again. Though she wasn’t sure if that meant she’d fight him either.
As she was lost in thought she felt a presence around her right hand. With a smooth motion, Kargon slipped his left hand into hers and squeezed tightly before letting go. Normally the pressure would be minimal but he passed a wave of heat through it that comforted Aisha. A soft smile passed her lips that he reciprocated before returning to his guard duty. Both knew that she wouldn’t immediately feel better but the gesture was appreciated.
The group would have remained on the path if not for Sariel and Avant turning their attention towards the plains around them. In the distance was a high sheer cliff that cast a shadow over the area left of the road. Stones resembling those atop the precipice were partially buried in the land from falling long ago. Boulders and uneven terrain created cover that made even the flattest land harder to examine. The awkward angles even made Sariel’s aerial view less effective.
Whether it was due to his animalistic nature or being close to the ground, Avant was the first to notice a trail hidden in the dry grass. Long brown needles were speared into the ground every few feet. Mistakenly stepping on one sent a shock of pain through his paw. Pulling back only brought the needle with him and caused him to stumble into another one. It would have been upsetting if not for the confused trill Avant kept making. Aisha chuckled at the sight and though that brightened the owlbear’s mood, it didn’t help his predicament. Kargon stepped up to assist with safely pulling each needle out.
The trail ended at the foot of a large porcupine. Spiked fur all over its body was covered in specks of blood. It watched the group with an intense gaze, making sure they remained at a distance. Somehow it produced a similar aura to Avant even at half his size. His hide bristled as he puffed up to scare it away. Normally that worked on smaller creatures but the spike ridden animal only reacted in kind. Before anyone could attack, Sariel held out a hand in front of Avant. Then, she lifted it up in a sign that communicated she had no intent to attack.
As she dropped to her knee she said, “We mean you no harm. Please, guide us to your master so we may assist them.”
She looked back at her party and nodded slowly. In turn they put their hands at their sides. Even if they wouldn’t attack immediately, it would be foolish not to be prepared.
The porcupine studied the odd elf and her draconic mutations. After nearly a minute of silent introspection, it turned away. Its steps were slow and deliberate. Every few paces it would turn back to make sure the others were still following without weapons drawn. Thankfully heightened senses were hard to notice. But Sariel repeatedly confirmed only hearing the ragged breath of an individual they were nearing.
A large stone she’d seen from afar was their destination. The hidden side had a small indent with dirt dug out. It was large enough for a small humanoid to take shelter. By the sight of the woman inside, it seemed she planned to make it her grave. A large gash cut from one shoulder to the opposite leg. Her consciousness was quickly fading from the massive amount of blood loss. Vofric momentarily hesitated and looked to Aisha to confirm his next move. With what just happened it was possible this person was related to Aeraza. On the other hand, she could be a simple traveler. The final possibility slipped Aisha’s mind at that moment. She cared more about keeping the wounded woman alive.
There was no hesitation as the Hero said, “Heal her.”
Vofric stepped forward but was blocked by the angered porcupine. Even Sariel couldn’t calm it down with a sudden command.
“Spike, stop being… dramatic. Let him… heal me,” the woman choked out.
As soon as the porcupine moved, Vofric rushed forward. Golden light burst from his palms and encompassed the tired warrior. The amount of mana necessary to seal the wound was already astounding. But even the healer was surprised by how much was expended by the time the woman finally opened her eyes with renewed vigor. Vofric stepped out of the alcove to give room to his patient. Spike took his place to check on the woman. Her rugged hand brushed his quills and calmed the flood of nerves in the small beast. With a groan the woman rose to her feet and stepped out of the shadows.
The first thing almost everyone noticed was the blood covering her entire body. Whatever had attacked her nearly ended her life. Sariel, on the other hand, noticed the short woman’s hair. It was identical to the porcupine’s hide and extended just beyond her neck. Pointed ears made it clear she was a half-elf though what her other half was seemed like an uncomfortable topic.
“It’s porcupine, obviously,” she said as she studied the gaze of her saviors.
Sariel twitched as realization dawned. She hesitantly stated, “You were mutated against your will.”
“My parents, actually. At least I assume so since they were never around. Otherwise I’d probably go by something other than Freckle.”
“Freckle,” Aisha muttered as she took notice of the faint pattern across Freckle’s face. “You’re pretty open about your past with strangers.”
“Strangers who saved my life. Strangers who are either the Hero and her party or I’m very bad at interpreting information from my allies,” Freckle said nonchalantly. “I knew you were wandering around Ionzel but didn’t think you’d be so close.”
Kargon held up a fiery hand defensively and stopped the conversation.
“You heard about us from your allies,” he said. “Not the news, your allies. There are only two groups you could be part of. Which one do you belong to?”
His words triggered the party’s defensiveness as they moved to draw their weapons. Only Aisha remained still with her hand hovering near Valefor. It wouldn’t do to jump at an innocent for not knowing how to answer.
“You’re a lot more cautious than even Rusty described.” A wide grin encompassed her small face. “I’m part of Barbatos. Now don’t ask me to prove it because Kira won’t take my advice about having a symbol we can show allies. The crafting costs alone are too much for her to even discuss it. Honestly, we have blacksmiths in our ranks who’d probably do it for free. Anyway, I’m one of you. On a technical level at least.”
Stating Kira’s never was the most obvious evidence the party needed. But they were slightly enamored by the flighty adventurer they’d come across. People had been downtrodden since the demon king’s castle crash landed. Moments ago Freckle was on the verge of death. Yet she smiled like she had no cares in the world.
“Aisha,” the Hero said and shook Freckle’s hand.
“No need for formalities, I know who you are,” the woman replied.
“Right. Do you mind if I ask what you’re doing out here? How’d you get so close to dying?”
Freckle paused and looked away as she scoured her memories for permission to speak about her missions. Whatever she found clearly agreed with the situation. A few steps brought her close to Aisha and the others encircled them.
“There’s a dungeon not too far from here,” Freckle whispered. “Based on my findings there should be an Artifact inside.”
A wave of surprise washed over the group. Repeated instances of unexpected information had steeled Aisha’s nerves to it. Even though she was still recovering from her talk with Aeraza, she was able to keep a straight face. The others took note and did their best to remain calm.
“Do you need help getting it?” Aisha asked.
Where she expected enthusiastic acceptance was instead careful suspicion. Freckle's smile did not waver but remained silent as her eyes flitted from one adventurer to the next. Spike slowly paced around the group waiting for his master’s instruction on whether to trust the party any further.
It dawned on Aisha that Artifacts needed to be monitored carefully regardless of who had them. Barbatos’s goals aligned with humanity but that didn’t mean they trusted everyone with tools that could change the course of history. It was the wise way of tackling such dangerous items.
Both women began to speak then stumbled. Aisha put out a hand and gestured for the other to start.
“I alerted Kira to my need for assistance,” Freckle said. “That was weeks ago and even with the less Void Storms no one has come this way. Normally I’d say you’re above doing a menial retrieval delve but you’re part of our guild. We’re all equals until the day Barbatos fulfills its purpose.
“Battle against the demon king,” Sariel muttered. “It is inevitable.”
“Exactly. So I’ll happily take the help in getting an upper hand against his army. Plus, if that dragonborn comes back, maybe we can deal with them.”
The words sent a shock through Kargon. All at once it felt like the scar across his face had reopened. The other marks remained undisturbed but his heart pounded wildly. Without realizing it his breath quickened. Rattling beads on his arms invited flames to burst forth. Thankfully his mind was in enough control to keep it contained to a single arm. That was the best he could do to stop from completely razing the dry field they stood in. With a shaky hand he pulled his goggles up and strapped them tightly around his eyes. Obviously it did nothing to the scar. But the less logical part of his brain was fooled into thinking the wound was closed from the tight binding.
“What… which Artifact did you… find? Any clues?” Kargon asked as he slowly regained composure.
“Judgement, the smiting tome,” Freckle answered. The sight of a panicked warrior was surprising but she was kind enough not to bring attention to it. “A group of half-elves crafted it so it is easily utilized by most inhabitants of the current world.”
“Are all of the Artifacts bound to the species that crafted them?” Vofric asked.
“Something like that. They’re best used by the current generation of that species.” Freckle hummed while deciding if she should continue her explanation. It wasn’t necessarily important but mentioning it could be helpful so she decided to press on. “Why do you think the demon king went in search for Great Sunderer?”
Sariel grumbled. “Was it not simply the first in his quest to seek out all the Artifacts?”
“Sure. We assume he wants all of them but there’s a reason he went for the sword.”
Aisha sighed heavily as realization dawned. “It was crafted by demons. The Great War had a lot of factions fighting each other. Demons might have lost the sword in Vethyea but it still reacts best to their descendent.”
“No,” Vofric interjected. “The Great War occurred 600 years ago. The demon king is no descendant. Rather, he is their ancestor. The sword was crafted for his use whether the creators knew it or not.”
Freckle gasped and said, “No wonder he found it so easily. They likely left clues for him to follow. The Artifacts were always rumored to return to the hands of their creators.” She nodded to Kargon and continued, “I mean, you’ve got Pyromanic. I have to assume some fire giant blood flows through you.”
The half-giant nodded in response. Though he’d accepted his origin for the sake of training, parts of it still confused him. Not that his father was the size of an average humanoid. Not that there were secrets kept from him all these years. Mainly that his mundane parents held onto an uber powerful magical item and gave it to him with little explanation. Then again, it was clear they trusted the journey to help him discover its true purpose.
“It’s not important though. We should focus on finding Judgement.” He rubbed a thumb against his forehead scar and continued, “Lead the way. Please.”
With a nod Freckle stepped out of the alcove and pressed forward. Spike stayed by her side and to much surprise, Avant followed. Something about the peculiar half-elf comforted and called to him. Though Sariel was ready for the quest, she was more focused on the mutant as well. Their differences spoke volumes as to how they viewed their accursed states of being. Vofric momentarily waited for the others but noticed Aisha signal him to leave. Once he was a few steps away she grabbed Kargon’s free hand and squeezed it. There was no smile but a look of conviction in her eyes. The firebrand couldn’t help but smile back. Both knew that was his own form of resolution.
