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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Lars Frehse" data-source="post: 337042" data-attributes="member: 1674">Chapter 11- Strange Bedfellows- Part1They were riding back to the camp through a wooded part of the corridor, as a human male in scalemail stepped onto the road, and since he was blocking the way, the four heroes reigned back their horses.He was holding a waraxe and a shield and his voice was booming from under his helmet:" Tell me what you have told King Jaren, and maybe I will let you live.". Trepat thought back to the events of the day. After a short sleep, all of the heroes, except for Jan, who had stayed in order to help the sick orcs, had gone into Mullis Town. There, they had reconsidered and instead of visiting Viando Asuras again, they decided to go directly to the ruler of the city: King Jaren. They knew that he was the one who had granted citizenship to the half-orcs living there, giving them more priviliges than their kind was enjoying in most of the rest of Ghelspad.Ben answered:" And why should we answer one single man?"King Jaren had indeed been helpful. He was a merchant who had bought the title at an auction once the old "king" had died,  and even though he, like all of those who followed his profession, was mostly driven by greed, he seemed to be genuinely concerned about his "kingdom" and his subjects. After they had told him what they had found out, and what they were planning to do, he decided to hire more mercenaries in case that the Orcs would indeed attack the settlement."Well", the fighter said:"All I can tell you is that you should tell me know. Else, I will make sure everyone but one of you will die, and then I will ask the last survivor, before I will slowly kill him."Now, all four of them were wondering what the man had up his sleeve. It didn't look like he was bluffing. Trepat thought back to how King Jaren had decided to talk to House Asuras directly, since it would have been their duty to inform him when the epidemy started. Then, Jaren had even given them some gold, after the priest Andalus had used his divine powers to make sure that they were speaking the truth.And now, as they were riding back to the Orcish encampment, where they wanted to pick up Jan and Donanngar, this man had stepped into their way. After their short exchange, they stared silently at each other for a while and nothing happened. Seeing no point in waiting any longer, Torn grabbed the Spiked Chain which he had taken from the Char Fiend months ago- months of training had let him master the exoctic weapon.The moment the fighter saw Torn moving, he slammed his axe against his shield and all of a sudden all hell broke lose. From the surrounding bushes, two crossbowbolts and a slingbullet shot at the heroes, severly wounding Niklas and Trepat, a magic missile hit Torn and another Spellcaster cast a sleep spell at Ben, who fell asleep but immediately woke up again as he fell of his rat. As Ben opened his eyes again, a druid of Chern stepped out of the underbrush, and he was grinning madly at the halfling as he waved his scimitar that was made entirely of flame.In the underbrush of both sides of the road, they were now able to identify their attackers. There was a human and an elvish spellcaster, a halfling with a sling and a shortsword and a human and a half-elf with a crossbow in additon to the two humans who had now stepped on the road.A fierce battle ensued, and it soon turned out that the attackers had relied on the force of their initial surprise attack and they weren't able to hold their ground in the fight man against man while the spellcasters had soon used up their spells. None of them was able to overcome Torn,, who was raging with the Khadum's fire in his veins as he dominated the field with the superior range of his chain.As the battle turned, Ben saw that one of the Half Elves, who had been called Ronczyk by one of the ambushers, was a member of the Asuras household. He was the one whom they had seen through an open door when they had been invited for dinner . This Halfelf now raised his hands as he saw that except for the two spellcasters, who were out of spells and clumsily using their crossbows now, he was alone.The two spellcasters tried to run away, but Ben, who was by now wielding a Flame Blade, and Torn each killed one. Seeing, that he wasn't watched at the moment, Ronczyk grasped his last chance of escape and he jumped onto the back of Niklas's horse. The monk and Trepat were both too heavily wounded to act at the time but Ben, who was closer, stepped to the horse before the man could ride off, and gently whispered into the steeds ear.Ronczyk tried to spur the horse on, but it didn't react and as he saw that Torn was coming back as well, he dismounted.He was now sweating profusely and trembling as well:" Please, noble sirs, if you spare me, I will make sure that you will not regret it!".Torn, who was still raging bellowed:" Better give me a reason not to kill you right now!"The man was now totally intimidated and begged on his knees:" I can get you money and valuables if you let me live. Please, give me a chance to buy my life!"Ben stepped between Ronczyk and his raging friend:" Well, first you should tell us everything. We know you work for House Asuras. Did Viando send you?""No, Viando is an idiot. You see, the reason I tried to have you killed, and the reason I had this one half-orc killed was that I didn't want the House to become too interested in our business here in Mullis Town."I am basically the one who runs the mine, and Viando spends his time drinking and gambling. So, while I was running the thing, I was also grabbing what I could get- this is much easier than the thieving I used to do. Anyway, when the trouble started, I wanted to make sure that the House doesn't send any representatives here, since even a casual glance would show that I was directing their money into my pocket."Now, if you let me live, I gotta get out of here as fast as possible. You can come with me to the Asuras mansion, and I will give you all the valuables I can grab.".Torn, who's rage had ended by now, nodded slowly:" Yes, but if you will try to cheat us, you will be dead.".And so they all rode back to Mullis Town, while the heroes thanked the gods that Jan, who would have never agreed with such a deal , was still back in the camp. When they reached the mansion, the grateful thief handed them a bag that was bigger on the inside than on the outside with fourhundred goldpieces in it and then he rode out of town.They arrived back at the camp in the afternoon, and not wanting to lose any time, they picked up Donnangar and Jan and rode to Mithril.</blockquote>

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