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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Ratchis" data-source="post: 949729" data-attributes="member: 5004">More Story of Ratchis. . .I thought about my life and was shamed at my refutation of who I am while speaking with the friars. I may not have known of Nephthys, but I could not deny the feeling that I had been guided to be where I was. It could not have possibly have been Grumpsch that wanted me to do this work, and it would be arrogance to think I had the strength on my own to make this difference in the lives of those most ignored. One of the deer of the area decided I would make good company while it rested, settling down in the cool grass near where I was sitting. I watched it lay there in peace for hours and thanked the goddess for these moments of peace in the rough sea of life.When I met with the friars at the appointed time, there were half a dozen individuals with them, all armored and equipped with bows. I was shown an inaccurate map of the area but was still able to pinpoint the location of the road where we would ambush the slavers. I led us to the ambush point in half a day and helped the friar position themselves and their agents so that we would be most able to take out the slavers while minimizing the danger to their captives. We all waited anxiously for over a day for the expected caravan to arrive.When the slaver’s train came into view, bowmen on both sides of the road began firing at the guards at the front and rear of the caravan. As we planned, I waited for Jetta and Narcell to call upon Nephthys, and as they did I felt myself touched in a spiritual way like I never had before. When they were done, the friars charged the middle of the slaver’s retinue and I followed. We dispatched the lesser guards easily, but there were obviously more experienced warriors closer to the slave carts. One man, dressed in black chain mail and wielding a long sword was barking orders to others. We locked eyes and he came at me. Jetta and Narcell were occupied with several opponents each, and I knew I was alone for this fight. He came in quickly with feints that I parried away. He began circling me to my right, moving in and out, drawing small wounds on my arms. I realized too late that he was too quick and too accurate for me. He beat away or absorbed all of my blows. I tried everything I knew about staff fighting but could never seem to land anything near a telling blow. I dropped my defense, taking a large risk in an attempt to get through his defenses once. This blunder cost me almost immediately. The fighter, noting my change in style, rushed inside my non-existent defense and ran me through. I went down immediately. I tried standing, but everything was numb. My vision darkened, and I seemed to be miles away from the swordsman who smirked at me, ready to finish me off. Somewhere in my swimming semi-consciousness I saw or heard a heavy blow fall on his shoulder. The look of pain and anger on his face swam before my vision several moments after it was no longer in view, the swordsman pushed back on the defensive by Jetta. I realized I was weakly holding my large stomach wound, trying feebly to slow the flow of blood that was drenching my hands and then my arms. Somehow, I recognized Narcell running by me, and my head flopped in the direction he ran. He delivered a blow to the swordsman’s head that almost dropped the cagey warrior. Blood was running in the slaver’s eyes, and Jetta stepped out of the engagement with relative ease. She rushed to my side as soon as she was able.“It’s alright, Ratchis. You serve the lady of freedom this day, and she is watching over you. In the name of Nephthys, I lend thee strength. Blessed is the downtrodden, fulfilled will be those who strive forever for freedom.”As Jetta finished her prayer and laid her hand up me, her skin turned almost black and took on a visage that exuded so much love that I wept, even as I felt my wounds begin to bind themselves. Jetta was herself again almost immediately and half my brain wanted to chalk the vision up to blood loss. My intuitive, wiser half would not allow me to maintain that lie for long.The battle had been won and the slaves freed. No slaver escaped our righteous wrath, and no one else had fallen in the skirmish. The magical healing had prevented my death and stabilized my wounds, but I remained very weak. Jetta and Narcell discussed who should stay with me until I was well enough to take care of myself once more. They had decided they would stay together until my question made the decision moot.“If I come with you, would you teach me all the teachings of Nephthys?” Jetta answered, “Any who consider the path of the friar are taught all doctrine so that they make an informed decision, made purely by one’s own beliefs and desires, rather than having any basis in ignorance, coercion or manipulation, no matter how well-meaning.”I asked if I could make the journey with them, and they said they would be honored. I didn’t know where we were going, but it didn’t matter so long as I would have a place to learn the message once and for all. We traveled for nearly a fortnight, following a river for some time and then traveling by road for over a week. Jetta and Narcell lived in a town called Nikar. It was carved out of a mountain wall, with a small tunnel to bring you inside. They lived in the middle tier in a modest home. We were near other houses and shops and everyone seemed to have a decent roof over their heads. Even the poor of the lower tier, working the salt mine or some other menial labor, were a lot better off than any but the elite in Menovia. It struck more closely how rough conditions were in the tribe. I began to debate in my head what the tribe would do if they knew they had a choice for a different life. to be continued. . . </blockquote>

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