His heart jumped into his throat when he saw her. Then it sank to his gut when the mercenary called her ‘Kitty’ and treated her so familiarly. So many emotions raged through him. He wanted to jump up and hug her. He wanted to kill the man who’d touched her. He wanted to hang his head and cry. He wanted to curl up and die.
None of them happened though, he was too tired and sore to give any of them a go. He couldn’t even blame her for her choices. She was a survivor, that was what he’d loved about her. The world had proved to be just as cruel a place for her as it was for him. He didn’t know what he wanted from her anymore. They had shared some time together before, and he would cherish those memories. They seemed to belong to someone else now though. The events of the last few weeks had made him a different person. The time they’d been apart had probably changed her as well. Any future they might have would depend upon their first conversation.
He had a mission, however. There was a woman that had cursed their village. Whether she had any personal intentions or not. She’d made it personal with that curse. He didn’t even know whether killing her would lift the curse or not. But she was going to receive payment for her services, whether she wanted it or not. He’d seen too many of his friends die because of her.
Until then, however, he would join this band of mercenaries in order to survive. Just as she’d done. He would find himself a place with these new friends…and old.
Buckflower stood there looking around. Everyone was injured and covered in blood. She was seriously contemplating lighting the whole place off when it looked like we were gonna get overrun.
Buck looked down at her outfit… the only one completly absent of blood. She needed to get stronger to protect herself because she couldn’t count on everyone all the time. The bodies were being dragged outside, stripped of anything of worth and buried. She didn’t know most of them, however they had taught her one thing. That her previous occupation didn’t provide much to her currently.
When she was alone… She sat down… and wept…..
Poor Max. He’s probably better off now. He saw too many terrible things, even before the attack on Suderberg. Maybe his soul can be at peace now. May Sigmar guide him.
The elf, Ionor, she was a quiet one. Too bad she did not survive either. I looked forward to some archery competitions with her. The cloak and bow she so recently acquired cannot go to waste. Considering her reaction to seeing them, I don’t know how other elves will react to me having them, but I will have to deal with that when the time comes. I will keep them in her honor however.
The merchant, Hildebrand, disappeared. I can’t say as I blame him. He may come back when things die down. The doctor obviously sacked his assistant in favor of his own skin and ran. The road warden barely survived thanks to the rogue, Gunter. The few of us who survived suffered quite a bit except for two notable exceptions. The Captain from Delburz, having remained nearly comatose, was untouched by the beasts. And Leticia, Max’s sister, somehow managed to survive by playing dead.
We’ll have to patch up the roof, pool the available resources, and hunker down for a couple of days. Maybe the Doc’ll come back. If not, we’ll have to lick our wounds the best we can before we head out again.
Letiicia Bischoff— Push..I’ve got to push this carcass off of me. It has served its purpose to disguise me from these horrible invaders. I can hear quiet now, no more fighting, I don’t hear the sounds of horrid beast men in the midst of profane celebration of slaughter. My brother Max and his friends have saved us all again, that must be what it is. I am sure when I get down below he will greet me and everything will be alright….
Max Bischoff—
I can tell its time…it is all slowing down. I lay here on the floor watching all the combatants fight for their lives. Slower and slower everything moves like time is slowing down but I don’t have all the time in the world because mine is up. This crimson puddle that I now lie within once provided what little warmth was left in this place but now it feels cold. The brightness of the fire is now drawing dim. In the darkness I can still see in the distance vibrant colored feathers, ever changing and ever moving. I can see Sigmar standing before me and the light he shines. I reach out to him “The Light…. the Light” he then fades away and I am alone in the dark again. The only thing I can see is a huge bird with wings made of vibrant feathers of ever changing colors. The bird leans in with its beak and whispers to me. “Max there is no light here for you, and there never was to begin with….” and then nothing but darkness. The last thing I hear is the voice of the bird.." My boy you have figured out the one secret that few seldom realize quick enough in life, the only guarantee in this world is that you will die."
The water was hot and that was all she cared about right now. The trip from their previous employment was almost the death of her and the stench of the sewer smell was almost as bad. The Inn probably was ab out to toss them out just due to that but the fact they had a sum of silver and gold on them saved the group a three day trip to the next city. Two of their own started to show signs of illness from the cold and luck she could find some help for them. There was a lot of people here at the moment maybe someone with some medical sense that could help was staying here to. Her mind went back to the creature in the sewers that tried to kill them all, where does a bunch of rats get the idea for that kind of pet.. better yet how do you get one? Lorinda sunk under the bathwater for a moment or two before surfacing, she looked at her bags and decided it was time to climb out. When she lifted herself out she cringed a bit, a large bruise has formed on her right side over her ribs. She was lucky none was broken but the pain brought her back to that moment.
The Creature roared as he bit at her, she barely had time to move to her right when it attempted to take her head off. What she didn’t see was another one of the heads on her right trying to snatch her up. Although the teeth didn’t get a bite the large head slammed her against the stone wall and landed her next to their injured captain. The same head reared back was was going to make the finishing blow when an arrow and a burst of energy got its attention. The captains eyes were hazy but he was still alive, she looked to him and back to the creature. The moment she remembered her sword was back in her hands, the next she was on her feet against the wall preparing the jump onto the hydra’s back. It roared and tried to shake her, she made a downward stab meeting its scaly hide and muscle but the strike was not enough. She raised the blade high with both hands and put all of her weight and might into the motion, she couldn’t tell of someone above was watching over her or what but she felt a renewed might or some hidden strength as the blade came down. It sank deep into muscle and bone, the hydra let out a chilling screech she twisted the sword once and pulled it free creating a bigger opening. Blood flowed like water from the wound, she had hit something vital this time and the hydra was living it’s last moments before a few more shots from the archers put it down.
What happened after was a bit depressing, their party was accused of being in collusion with the rat men in the sewers, Alette didn’t want to to hear any of it and started a fight with the guard that was sent. They ended up having to escape Delburz in the night and after 3 frost filled days ended up here. Lorinda couldn’t think of what was worse the fact that Alette was so wiling to attack another guard or the fact they were accused of traitors. Lorinda dressed slowly she noted at least some good news.. she clothes were a little better fit.. she had lost some weight.
It seemed we might actually be able to rest a little bit in Delburz. We got Elsie healed. Most of us joined the militia for a little extra coin, though we didn’t need it, but spending too much gold might’ve gotten noticed, so earning a little silver helped. That little amber clasp netted more gold than I could’ve ever seen in Suderberg. But the militia gig proved to be one of the worst choices we could’ve made. After dealing with the beastmen in Suderberg, then that crazy necromancer, ratmen didn’t sound too difficult, especially with other trained fighters working with us. Hello ambush. So we regroup, replan, and head back down. Hello hydra. What the Chaos! The captain gets his arm bit off, the bear turns out to be a coward, The halfling brains Biff (and he was behind me the last time!), Bill runs away down the tunnel (sounded like he got himself killed too), and once again the Lady Beastslayer makes a spectacular kill. I may’ve put some arrows in it, but she did the most damage to it.
We head back out to lick our wounds again only to find out that we’re to be arrested for collusion with the ratmen. Max and I were ready to try to argue our way out with the court, but Alette seems to have been more incensed by the idea than we were, she attacked. Ionor, just took Alette’s lead and started dropping militia men with arrows. Max and I decided to incapacitate some so it wouldn’t be a total bloodbath, but Ionor still shot one in the back trying to run away. I understand that he could’ve brought back actual guardsmen, but it still felt wrong. We tied up the survivors, gathered our things and made our escape from Delburz thanks to one of the halfling’s contacts.
Three days later, here we are at a coaching in on the way to Middenheim. The captain still hasn’t recovered (we couldn’t just leave him there). The bear tamer decided to join us along with the halfling and ‘his lordship’ who apparently has even less money than we did (before the amber and the hydra’s horde). And I’m still trying to understand: What the Chaos just happened.
