JOHN PLAY
“Play To Win”
SEGMENT 009
“Don’t Feed the Bears”
Sypheros 3, 996
John couldn’t help himself. He looked around the room. It was Carson’s room. He found little of interest. There was no business ledgers or the such here. Only his personal possessions. Shasta looked out the one small window that was facing away from the mill into the woods. It was already becoming dark from the thickening dark clouds. Tonight’s storm was going to be worse than yesterday’s.
“Something isn’t right. Carson is hiding something.” John says as he looks outside into the forest.
“What could he be hiding?” she asks giving a flirtatious smile and laying down on the large bed.
“The way the wood was being hauled out. The looks on the worker’s faces. The inclusion of Dragonmarked equipment. Being put in here and told NOT to walk out. Especially around the mill.”
“Are you trying to avoid me?” she asks kicking off a boot.
“I have a sense for this stuff. Something is wrong.”
A second boot falls off. “Really.”
“It may not be him but something is here. Either he is up to something or he is trying to protect us from something.”
“Danger. You could… protect me from things that go bump in the night.” She removes her belt.
John notes it but remains on task. His ability to ignore alluring women has saved him before. He tries the door and discovers it was locked! “That tears it!”
“So? He sensed I wanted privacy.”
John ignores her and pats his travel belt. He pulls out several metal rods and kneels at the door. Listening carefully first, he begins to pick the lock.
“John- I hired you. You work for me.”
He stops in mid motion. Since when did he become a gigolo he wonders briefly. Then he finishes picking the lock. “I will be right back. If I find nothing I am sure you can think of something to do to me other than scold me for being a bad boy. Either way… later I can be a naughty boy.” With a smile and a bow he slips out the door.
Shasta crosses her arms and pouts. “Damn you Play.” She whispers.
Play carefully proceeds down the stairs. He had noted where the squeakiest steps were and avoid stepping on these. He pauses at the living quarters of the workers. A few are settling in for the night. They seem nervous about something.
“Do you think he will come tonight?” one man asks.
“Storm would be good cover. If I were a betting man I would say so.” Another worker says.
“It wasn’t Carson’s fault that his mate died. It was her idea to use the logs to escape.”
“Aye. But he has placed the blame entirely on him and this facility. He had issues her even before she died. And may I remind you- she died trying to sabotage this place.”
“I hear Carson has asked Buzz to return from up river for tonight. That forged freaks me out.”
“He freaks everyone out. With that damned spinning blade and his attached elemental on his arm…. Freaky.”
“Last shipment goes out in a few weeks. Our contract will be up and we can go back to logging like we used to.”
Figuring there is nothing to be gained by staying any longer Play moves down. He is careful to step high near the bottom of the stairs. It is very dark here and he noticed small eyelets in the walls. The kind where a wire can be set up as a warning system or as a magical conduit. Now at the front door he peers into the tavern. Little has changed here since he went upstairs. Focusing back on the mission on hand he peers out the door. No one. He steps out and is greeted sharply by pounding rain and wind. It will be very hard to mask his time of being outside if people become suspicious of him. Too late now.
Avoiding being near strong lights and puddles of water, he moves quickly from dark shadow to dark shadow. The night rumbles as the storm closes in on the mill. John pauses at the deck and pulls out a cloth from his belt of hidden pouches. With the cloth he cleans and dries one boot, which he then sets onto the dry and sheltered wood. He steps up but before placing his other boot down he cleans that one also. He refolds it carefully and places it in a pouch on the backside of the belt. He creeps towards the closest window to peer in.
From the shadows he sees not one but two magical spinning saw blades that when used will cut the logs either in two or into planks of a set width. Despite what Carson thinks of him, he has been within a wood mill before and understands them. It’s why he is concerned. What kind of profit can be made bringing in Cannith magic? Unless they found Soarwood….. nah….. Couldn’t. He notes the workers are there but are not running the machines. They are circled in small groups located to see all exits in defensible groups. They are expecting trouble. The giant is near the place where the logs enter the mill. He is big. He holds a small log with an earth pike attached to it. He walks with his knees bent to the sides. John notes that means he could easily dodge the giant by sliding under him then.
Several men motion to the main doorway. They begin to walk that way when Endo calls out. Suddenly everyone is on edge and readied for combat. John looks over his shoulder. He thought he heard something near the brush but sees nothing. When he looks back many of the workers have moved to the windows overlooking the river. One of the men, one with a smaller frame, pulls out a wand. Uh-oh.
John Play circles around the backside between the two building. He shakes his head, as once more his boots are wet and muddy. He stays low and hidden from the Giant. A steady glow enlightens the area from the area where logs are loaded and move on their own into the main building. John can not help to wonder if it work carrying him and if he would be harmed to try. He stoops and walks to a pile of cut tree branches and scrubs. From here he can see inside the mill and some of the workers. Everyone seems preoccupied with something either on the lake or across it.
Suddenly Endo bellows out and throws down his club. The men are in motion and John turns and finds himself face to face with the biggest, nastiest, most bone platen Dire Bear he has ever seen. Ever seen this close anyway. ( Dire Dreadnought Bear!!!)
It roars and moves to attack. One monstrous claw strikes and drives Play down. A bite crunches into his reinforced shoulder pad drawing blood even as he back peddles away. Going on the defensive, Play backs away wondering how the heck this multi-ton creature got so close to him and why it attacked him. He has heard of security dogs and even panthers but bears?!?
Unseen by the retreating Dark lantern, The artificers inside spot the creatures as they emerge from the darkness. Four of them total. They reach out to the workers bows and imbue with Baneful magic designed to stop the bears. One bear roars louder than the thunder sounds and tears into the closest man even as he rises his bow to it. The giant shakes his bleeding hands. His wooden log remains at his feet with many bloody spikes growing out of it. He charges the closest bear and barely catches its notice. From the darkness, someone fires a bow and strikes the giant with an arrow.
Play with his one dagger he had out strikes the bear but its thick coat of hardened hair and bony plates stop most of his attack. The bear swats him again. Blood splatters from his injured body as he nearly falls to the ground. Play steps back a few feet and pulls out something from a hidden pouch. A wand! The bear’s face lights up making its black eyes burn orange as a small fireball explodes above it. The blast burns the bear but dries off the rogue. Seeing the futility of this, he turns to run. As he turns he spots something directing the bears. This distraction allows the bear to swat him once more. Play spits out blood as he slides into the brush away from the bear. As he circles around the brush he sees there are several bears. The workers are not doing well against the creatures. They are concerned and stymied by the magical blades that are still spinning inside. He then concentrates on the cause of this attack. He is part man and part goat? This guy is going down Play swears as he runs in a bent over position behind the brush down a trail he figures the creature used itself to sneak onto the deck of the mill.
He leaps onto the creature even as the lightning flashes. If the four-legged man saw him he shows no sign of it as Play’s dagger slides across then sharply into and across his man-like neck. Even as it stumbles forward from Play’s collision with its hindquarters, it gargles with blood bursting out of its throat and mouth. It drops its torch into the sawdust and there is a loud froosh at it explodes into flames. Great. Now a fire also thinks Play.
Play finishes off the creature quickly then realizes one bear has turned and now charges back onto him. Crap! These things are big and fast. As he begins to position himself behind a magical buzz saw he notes Carson and a warforged has arrived. The warforged warrior is truly a scary thing to behold. It has a glowing spinning blade in place of its hand complete with a rushing cloud of air around its wrist. An elemental buzz saw!
After retreating outside of the bears view he watches as another bear attempts to cross the energy platform that carries the logs. It stops to regain its balance and that is when the warforged known as Buzz attacks. One limb is removed entirely and the head is cleaved exposing brain matter. The monstrous bear roars and attacks batting and rending the warforged whom calmly and efficiently kill the beast. As the bear drops into pieces at its feet it stares at area where Play is.
The remaining bears notice the death of their leader and roar in anger but still turn and flee.
A few scant seconds go by then Carson calls out- “Come out Play! I know you killed the Bariaur Saboteur. Please come out.”
Thinking it out quickly, Play sees no way out of it. His torn leather and cloth covering his armor will give away his injuries. He can’t run and recover in time to avoid them. Play silently walks out from the raining darkness to the edge of the mill.
“I gave you strict orders for your own safety. Now you see why.” Carson is obviously displeased. Buzz, the warforged mill worker stares still at him. The cloudy mass weakens around his wrist and the blade stops buzzing and whirling. The blood from the bear is still smeared everywhere on the blades and his body. Play has not seen a stronger stare down of menace from any creature before seeing this warforged. Not even from the Lord of Blades.
“Is the woman here with you or did you at least leave her in the safety of the house? Speak damn you.”
Play notices the bloody and torn up body of the giant. Endo has left our world and now joins the Keeper. He and several workers and one mage type also. “She should still be in the house. I thought I heard a fight and thought I could possibly help. I’m not much of a fighter but I wield a nasty knife.”
Carson gives him a hard stare. He motions to a few workers whom go to put out the fire. “Follow me and we’ll talk. He motions to Play and Buzz alike.
When they arrive at the house they find several of the workers restraining Shasta. “How did you….” Play begins. “You. Locked. Me. In.” she fumes. It is unclear whether she is directing this to Carson whom locked her in originally or Play for relocking the locks as he left.
Carson walks up the stairs. He slows down on each of the two steps that creak horribly. It is obvious to Play that he is measuring Play’s abilities based on what he has seen and what he avoided so far as traps, alarms and locks. Carson is no logger or idiot. He is more cautious than the average Aurum agent Play decides. He is up to something.
They reach the top floor and Play frowns on the outside but smiles on the inside. Shasta broke down the door using furniture as a ramming rod.
“I appreciate the aid. You killed a saboteur that has been causing us many issues as of late. I thank you. However- you still disobeyed a direct order from me meant to protect you.”
Play nods his head in agreement. He does his best to convince the man that he is sorry and submissive. “I thought I saw something and…”
“Stop.”
Carson almost growls at this point in anger. “The fact you could leave the room, walk down the stairs and leave the building without my people knowing means you are more than you have suggested. The fact you RE-locked the door according the woman confirms this. We saw your blade. It is no average blade. The fact you cleanly killed the creature and survived several strikes from his bears further proves there is more to you than you suggest. Tell me the truth.”
“Eh okay. I am a highly trained agent of Breland that accidentally ended up here and I thought I would check things out since I was told to stay put,” Play says with a mirthful smile on his face, “And maybe you are a world dominating super-baddy trying to keep some evil secret from me and the world.” He waits a moment as Carson has a stunned look on his face. Buzz’s blade begins to slowly turn, as he stands upright. Then Carson begins to laugh out loud and John joins in. Buzz is confused (or disappointed) and backs down as even Shasta joins in the laugh. The tension is broken. Peace returns.
“You are a strange one young man.” Carson slowly allows his laughter to trail off. “I expect you will be in a hurry to leave in the morning. I suggest you go at daybreak before the next storm comes. This means getting to sleep soon. I can have Buzz here watch your door so to be certain no one bothers or awakens you during the night. You saw what he could do. The people here know to not bother him.”
Play watches him leave down the stairs. He looks at Buzz and sighs shortly. “I heard House Ghallanda is looking for a short order chef to cut veggies and stuff. It may be a excellent job opportunity for you.” Play closes the door before Buzz’s blade can begin to spin freely.
