Shackled City - Chapter II

[hippocrachus]

"He'll take us to the 'Stalactite Castle.' Wherever that is," Orpheus answers calmly. He walks over to the little chest Althron discovered and looks around.
"Who wants to carry this burden?"

 

[Dhes]

“Close…. But it says we have to go to the Malachite Fortress, I don’t know maybe they have some green stronghold or what ever.”

(in Undercommon) “What is this Malachite Fortress?? Is it a stronghold of some kind? I don’t think my companions would like it if you would lead us to 20 or so of you kin.”

 

[Verbatim]

~Finally a step in the right direction. I told them that these brutes would be useful if we could make one talk...~

Opening his mouth for a moment, the scribe turned quickly away from him and began speaking once more to the creeper in its odd sounding tongue.

"Ask it if the children are held there and how heavily is it protected."

As the dandy nudged a chest with his boot and asked who would carry it, Zeric knew the logical answer would be to leave it until they returned, as extra weight would only slow them down and tire them out in the process.

"I think it best if for the time being we leave it. However, if you feel it must be moved, then I think placing it in the room with the paintings would be wise. The creepers do not know of the room and there will be time enough for exploring the riches this place offers once the children are safe."

Turning his attention back to the scribe, Zeric waited for the translation of his conversation as patiently as he could.

 

[kirinke]

Alinis nods in agreement. "Sensible," she says easily, still keeping a grip on the critter. "Um, what are we going to do with this guy once we get our answers? We can't simply let him go. Otherwise, he'll spread the alarm." she shook her head. "I know they know we're hunting for the children, but they don't know when or from what direction we'll be coming from to get them."

 

[Verbatim]

Zeric looked evenly at the elvish archer and spoke in a simple and flat tone.

"He leads us to where we go and will continue to walk in front of us as long as his legs carry him. If he tries to escape, I will strike him down like the curr he is, as his punishment will not go undelivered. He merely seeks now to earn a swift painless end to his dark life."

Pausing as he considered her words, Zeric turned to face the dwarvish priest.

"Is a spell of thought speak a difficult one to cast? Also must the target be known to them? I ask this as perhaps our enemies seek to further delay us by planting doubts in our minds through smoke and mirrors."

 

[hippocrachus]

"Right," he agrees absentmindedly. "Raven, I'd take it there myself, but I think you're much better at finding your way down here. Not to mention faster," he adds for Zeric's sake.

 

[kirinke]

Alinis mouth sets into a grim line at Zeric's words. He was blunt, but he spoke truth. We can't let this creeper escape, so if he tries, we must either prevent or kill him. She decided.

"Aye, but if he attempts to escape, let us try to recapture him first without killing him. After all, a dead guide does us little good," she tells Zeric. "

 

[Verbatim]

Alinis mouth sets into a grim line at Zeric's words. He was blunt, but he spoke truth. We can't let this creeper escape, so if he tries, we must either prevent or kill him. She decided.

"Aye, but if he attempts to escape, let us try to recapture him first without killing him. After all, a dead guide does us little good," she tells Zeric. "

"Agreed, as long as you accept that if his escaping puts any of you, or the children in danger, there is no second guessing the fate that awaits him."

 

[kirinke]

She nodded unhappily, but realizing that the creeper himself would decide his own fate. "You speak truth. I don't like it much, but we can't let him get back to his superiors alive."

 

[hippocrachus]

"Yeah, yeah, brutal death and reckoning," Orpheus says waving his hands, metaphysically placing himself between Alinis and Zeric. "When Raven gets back, we'll go," he continues, volunteering Raven whether she likes it or not.
"Elyas, get the thing talking to keep us busy," he whispers into his ear, "the less time we spend standing around, the less likely we are of killing each other."