Shackled City - Chapter II

[Verbatim]

As the dandy and the elf leave, Zeric sees the scribe break out a book and begin to jot notes into it; leaving him for the moment, alone with the dwarf.

Pacing the room like a caged tiger, Zeric tries to settle his nerves, but feels the eyes of the dwarf upon him, watching and judging him as all of the Cuthbertian clergy had done since they had found him more dead than alive on the trade road leading into Cauldron.

~Perhaps they would have shown me more mercy had they simply allowed me to die in the ditch where the others had left me...~

Zeric could feel the scars on his back begin to itch where the scourges they had weilded had ripped into his flesh as if they were starving wolves who had came upon a fallen deer. He could feel the heat from the white hot brand they had placed against his left bicep and marked him as a traitor to Hextor's faith. It was a mark that all faiths could recognize, and when the Cuthbertians had stopped for him, Zeric was more dead than alive.

~It will never matter that the black blooded bastards killed my parents and forced me into their ranks against my will...it will never matter that it was kill or be killed in the training and I would not allow myself to be weak like my parents were...it will not matter that I killed three of the six that came after me when I fled from the camp...none of it matters as they all see me as nothing more than one who has learned the dark tongue, and used it as a weapon to live...~

Finally, Zeric could stand the dwarf's steady gaze upon him no longer and he spoke first, hating the fact the dwarf could get under his skin when the others could not.

"What is it you would know Althron, or do you stare at me for the simple pleasure of it?"

 

[Dhes]

Noting Zeric’s snapping tone of voice, Elyas looks up from his book. “Could you please cool down for just a minute? You act as if you have to prove your might to everyone you meet. Please sit down have a drink and read a book, it will calm your nerves and maybe by the time the others get back you won’t be acting like every one is out to get you. I for one don’t care who or what you are, at the moment I only see you as a paranoid man with the wits of a small child.”

 

[Mimic]

Althron sits on the floor crosslegged and watches the Hexblade pace the room. "Boy has a lot of rage. It will get him killed if he is not careful." He thinks, of course the rage is understandable considering what he is and what he went through, and even if half of the rumors he has heard about Hextor's priests and what they do those under thier control is true then it is surprising that he survived it at all.

Althron calmly watches as Zeric makes his comment and the half-elves reaction to it. "I wonder if they know? Unlikely at best. And if so then it wasn't for him to tell the others of Zeric's secrets."

"Aye, you would be surprised at the pleasure you can get by simply watching," He replies to Zeric, ignoring the Half-elfs comments for the moment, "there is a lot I wish to know but for now tell me of how your group came together and how you all fare in this lost city."

 

[Manzanita]

Raven

Before Keygan leaves with his escort, Raven quizes the dwarf more. "Can you point out where the elves were? I will try to leave where they cannot see me, then perhaps I can observe them. If they follow Keygan or not, we will know something. I may choose to confront them."

Her gaze moves among her companions. "You here stay alert. If I need assistance, I will give a shrill blast on this whistle." She pulls her signal whistle out from where it rests behind her leather armor on a cord around her neck. "I will count on you to assist me."

She smiles at Zeric. "Action would do you good, my friend. I should like to find some for you."

Then to Keygan. "Is there another way out of your shop?"

OOC: Raven's plan is to try to get out w/o being seen. Perhaps by using her rope to slip out a window. This partially depends upon where the elves were last seen.

 

[Majin]

Keygan glances upstairs a moment in though before answering Raven, "There is a window upstairs in my bedroom. The only one that faces the back of my shop. Perhaps you can escape that way without being seen?" The gnome rushes upstairs and unlocks the first door he comes to, still able to be seen from the ground floor.

"This one," he gestures back to it as he descends the stairs. The gnome looks down at the key in his hands, then reluctantly hands it to Raven. "Please lock it once you are inside, and if you need to leave my shop remember to lock the front up as well. If these elves out there are looking to break in, I don't want them to have an easy time of it," he says, his brow furrowed.

With that, he will leave with anyone returning to the church at their leisure.

 

[hippocrachus]

When the three get to the church, Orpheus leaves Keygan in the care of the priests, sends for a healer to cure Alinis, and heads back to Keygan's workshop when she is healed.
"It seems that St. Cuthbert has taken quite an interest in our little group," he says to Alinis on their way to join up with the others to fill the silence with conversation.

 

[Manzanita]

Raven

Raven accepts the key. "Have no fear, friend Keygan. I will lock it up tight." She then prepares her rope to rappell out the window. She'll tie it to something sturdy (use rope +6), test the strength of the knot, then take a long look out the window. She would prefer not to be observed. Assuming she sees no one, she'll begin her descent. (Climb only +3 I'm afraid)

OOC: I don't see any reference to these elves from Majin in the IC thread. Nor did the dwarf offer specifics of where they were seen. Raven would like to know these specifics before setting off.

 

[Mimic]

occ: althron stated that he saw them up on the roof top

 

[kirinke]

"Mmmm. Perhaps a little too much interest it would seem. For whatever they have interest in, so do their enemies. And they seem to have quite a bit of enemies." she winces in pain, holding her side as she steps wrong. Obviously, she still has not quite recovered from her injuries.

"And now those enemies are ours by default," she finishes, cursing under her breath as the pain eases somewhat.

 

[hippocrachus]

Orpheus refrains from supporting Alinis in her moment of pain to spare her from any unwanted embarrassment. He offers a sympathetic look, however.
"I'm sure we can handle ourselves. As much as any of us would hate to admit it though, we're gonna need to stick together," he says tentatively. "So I have a proposal for you..." he pauses to make sure he has her full attention, "when we get back with the others, I ask you forgive Zeric his temper," here he visibly distances himself from Alinis to avoid any aggression, be it verbal or physical.
"If we are to work together, we must learn how best to cope with each other; Zeric too, of course. I ask you forgive him this once. 'Full me once...'" he lets the old proverb hang in the air to hear Alinis' reply.