Part 4
On the way they pass by the remains of the large campsite. It seems they have left and Seriphina determines that Seth got picked up by them. They ride ever harder fearing for their friends lives. Near dawn they pass by the guard shack. Despite having little faith that he actually saw anything they decide to go knock on the guard’s door.
“What??” A familiar voice yells out.
“Hello, good sir, we were wondering if you happened to see a caravan pass this way?” questions Aust through the door.
“Hold on,” they hear a crashing sound and then the door opens. “You guys again!! I’d hope to see the last of all you.”
“We are sorry to wake you again…” Aust starts
“You didn’t wake me now, and I wasn’t asleep then,” the guard interrupts.
“Of course not, now about a caravan.” Aust says.
“Ah, yes, the caravan. They were making a loud racket, loud enough to wake a man from a very deep sleep, which I was not doing…”
“Of course not…”
“So, ya, it came by yesterday. What of them?”
“We were wondering if you saw a man by the name of Seth on the caravan. He would be unshaven, around six feet in height…”starts Aust again
“I didn’t see anyone!” the man exclaims interrupting.
“But you said you they pasted through here yesterday,” Aust questions.
“I said I heard them,” the guard answers,” Never did open the door to have myself a look.”
“Ah, well sorry to have awakened you…”
“I wasn’t asleep!!” he bellows as he slams the door.
They continue north and arrive into town a little after sunrise. The town is awake and there are merchants calling out selling things. The caravan is parked off to the side and many people are around them buying, selling, and trading. There are a few merchant ships in the harbor loading and unloading supplies. The remains of the burnt out inn have fallen in on themselves and people are just moving around it like it has always been that way. Aust heads over to the caravan.
“Welcome back. I hope your trip down to Pervue went well.” Says one of the caravan people recognizing him,” Is Feng around, it would be great to get him to play some music for us again.”
“Well, maybe later, I need to know did you guys pick up a man going north from Pervue yesterday.” Aust asks anxiously.
“Why, yes, we did. A really nice man, he said there was nothing left for him in Pervue and that he needed to get on to something else.”
“And do you know where he is now?”
“When we got here he went his own way.”
Aust sighs with a feeling of defeat as he looks all around this very busy town filled with people. “If only humans didn’t all look so much alike” he mutters as he finds the rest of the group.
Feng and the rest of them are looking at the many people trying to figure out what to do when he hears a familiar voice cry out.
“You there, did you retrieve my flute?” asks Tardak as he walks up to them.
Dell is about to answer when Feng interrupts him, “Sorry, sir, by the time we found Contel he was dead killed by bandits. The flute was no where to be found.”
“Dang Nabit,” Tardak curses, “least the bastard died violently.” And then he storms off.
“Um, Feng, we have the flute,” Dell says.
“I know but I think the flute is more then a simple instrument and it can’t be trusted in the hands of others.” Feng replies.
“Um, okay, perhaps we should look into that…” Dell starts to say but Aust comes back and interrupts him.
“Seth got a ride with the caravan as we thought” Aust begins “but split ways with them when they arrived in town. He could be anywhere. Let’s split up and see if we can find him.”
Seriphina goes to some shops and asks around there. Aust and Dell head down to a seedy bar on the docks. Feng heads out onto the docks. Mardnab approaches everyone except Feng individually and expresses his concern over Feng and the Flute. He fears the flute might have charmed Feng in some way.
Seriphina talks to many people in the shops but has no luck locating Seth. Aust enters the Floating Debris, a real dive of a bar, and approached the bartender. The bartender looks up at Aust and exclaims.
“Get out of my bar, elf!!” he says full of hatred.
“But sir, I only wish to…” Aust starts to say.
“Are you damn pointed ears worthless!! I said get the Hades out of my bar!!” The bartender’s face is filled with anger and it looks like he’s ready to resort to violence. Aust quickly leaves.
Mardnab climbs up to the bar saying “Excuse me bartender, could I get two glasses of Ale?” She places a few coins on the bar.
“Of course, here you go” the bartender answers and collects the money.
“I’m looking for a man named Seth: unclean, unkempt, and basically unkind?” she inquires.
“Ya, I know Seth, but you wouldn’t want to hang around with him. I’m just happy he found a ship to take him out of here today.”
“A ship?!” She exclaims and quickly downs both glasses and makes her way to the docks.
Mardnab quickly gathers the other four and they split up to find Seth. Dell spots him aboard a ship that is loading supplies and looks like they are going to be sailing off with in the hour. Seriphina goes to get the sheriff while Mardnab and Aust watch the gang planks to make sure Seth does not leave the ship.
Seriphina comes back with the Sheriff and two deputies. The Sheriff calls out to the captain of the ship.
“Permission to come aboard, Captain,” the sheriff bellows.
“Permission denied,” Answers the Captain he walks across the deck and down the gang plank, “Sorry Sheriff we are getting ready to leave, I’m already well behind schedule here.”
“I have reason to believe that one of your crew is a murder and wish to take him into custody,” says the Sheriff.
“Not going to happen,” says the Captain, “Your jurisdiction ends at the gangplank and I need all the men I have. If he’s still on board when we sail back here in the spring you can have him then.”
“That’s not an option, Captain,” says the Sheriff.
“Sorry Sheriff, but the law says you can’t come aboard my ship with out my permission. So bug off!”
At this time the Mardnab and the others start up the others gang plank. The Captain sees them and calls out to his men. “Men, remove those people from my ship using any and all means!!”
The crew on the ship draws weapons and advances upon the party. The fight starts bad and gets worse. Mardnab advances on Seth and takes him down. Seriphina gets corner on the upper deck. Feng stays off the ship and starts trying to take people out with his crossbow while singing. Again he proves to be highly accurate with it.. Aust reinforces Mardnab’s positions while Dell tries to fend of the sailors on the main deck. Dell gets takes a vicious thrust to the abdomen and goes down. Aust runs over to help Dell while Mardnab finishes the sailors near her and she advances upon the Captain. The Captain and her exchange a few blows, but he hits her with a slash across her chest and she also drops to the ground. Feng ands Seriphina defeat the sailor near her and she runs down to heal Dell. Aust runs over and engages the Captain but is knocked over and into the water. He quickly sinks into the water under the weight of his armor. Dell regains consciousness and engages the Captain. Seriphina circles around and gets to Mardnab to heal her. Then she runs over to help finish off the Captain.
Aust is helped out of the water and they are all escorted over to the Sheriffs office. Clerics are brought in to heal everyone up.
“Well, the battle happened outside my Jurisdiction so you all are not in any trouble with us or this town,” starts the Captain. “I just want an explanation of what’s going on.”
They tell him about the bandits killing most of the people in Pervue and then following Seth back here to have him pay for his participations. A runner enters informing them the Seth and a few of the other sailors were able to be saved. The sailors were let go but asked not to come to the town again and Seth was taken to the local jail to answer for his crimes.
The group is then treated to a free meal for thanks on stopping the bandits.
“So, Feng, about this flute?” asks Aust.
“Listen, I have this feeling about the flute, I don’t think we should let any one have it until we figure out more about it.” Feng answers.
“Okay, well the best place to do that would be Montinelle where the Mage Academy is,” says Dell.
“Then to Montinelle we must travel,” says Feng. And the group gathers up their few belongings and their new horse and starts to make the cross country trip to southern capital and famed city of Montinelle.
