The night was close at hand. Moses, having spent the day traveling back from the summit, was worried about having kept Carrick waiting too long. He moved swiftly and carefully in an attempt to avoid the drizzling rain from seeping into his boots. As he was reaching the edge of Valleysrest, he looked to the skies to gaze for any available stars the sky had to offer. Peering through the clouds a constellation poked through, a leaf, which had a brighter than normal shimmer. Moses thought of his star book as though he were flipping through the pages, and recalled the meaning and the story of the leaf. He recalled this:
“The Leaf constellation is a sign of aid. The leaf represents the dance of turmoil into the gusts of life and lands away from its home.”
Moses’s stomach sank. He had not seen a message from the stars like this before. He wanted to stand there for a moment longer, but his mind brought him back to Carrick who had most likely been waiting for hours now. Whatever it was, Moses knew their trip to Rivermere would have to be postponed.
Reaching the tavern, Moses scanned the room and saw Carrick talking with someone who had a striking resemblance to him. Carrick looked up and waved Moses to the bar. Moses went to Ferris and ordered a spiced ale and sat down at a table barren table with Carrick.
While they chatted, Moses began to hear a loud clanging sound. Thuds, bumps, and the eventual appearance of a man heavily clothed, carrying a bag almost his size and overflowing with products. Moses noticed that everyone had stopped or slowed their conversations while the merchant made his appearance. Moses watched as he headed to Ferris and order a drink… which quickly evacuated his mouth and onto the spot Ferrin had just finished cleaning. Moses saw Ferrin’s displeasure as the merchant scanned the room for a seat and merrily made his way to a table only accompanying a drow deep in his studies. Moses and Carrick were half watching the interaction when the merchant slammed his backpack on the table and crumpled parts of the drow’s maps. Already displeased and wanting the merchant gone, the drow entertained the merchant a bit and was showcased a top which seemed to be stuck in a continual spin.
The relaxing scene quickly turned into a panic. The sudden emergence of Ethel Gaines slamming open the door, and the shrill scream that followed the soaked widow. Quickly, Carrick made his way to her, and Moses followed behind. They soon learned of what the stars meant by aid, the aid to help find the widow’s only son, Tomas. The merchant and the drow also made an advance towards Ethel and agreed to venture to Mountain Spite and recover the missing child.
The drow, Kol, and the merchant, Nahlir, went with Carrick and Moses to the boarded up tomb. Carrick recalled the story of how two people were mysteriously murdered and since then they had boarded it up and warned any who dared to trespass. Kol seemed a bit weary to travel with inexperienced fighters but Moses figured he could handled himself in case the others perished. Nahlir seemed to have a bit of a skip in his step despite looking over encumbered.
At last they had reached the cave. Moses tried to look for more messages in the stars, but the clouds that carried the drizzling rain blocked any sight of them. Carrick lead the way in what seemed to be a mile long cave. They got to the end and were greeted by heavily weathered boards blocking the entrance to the tomb. Kol managed to slip through where they figured Tomas had entered. Scouting the first room and giving it the all clear, Carrick swiftly and easily cut through what remained of the rotten boards. They all walked through into an entry way. Here, Moses saw an ancient mural depicting orcish warriors praying to a star. He raised his leather covered hand to see if there was a message or a connection, or to see if there was an answer. Disappointed, he looked over to see a door and two pedestals, one with a statue of an orcish knight, and the other missing a statue. Before he could investigate further, Carrick attempted to open the door in the entryway. Moses saw the statue begin to move and attempt to strike at Carrick. The strike missed as Carrick nearly ducked out of the way. Nahlir let loose a beam of energy and Moses almost followed with a beam of his own, but wasn’t comfortable revealing his magical abilities in front of strangers. He tried to swing his pike, but missed and was met with the sword of the statue and an opening of a wound. Having taken a blow like this, he was in a state of shock while the others finished off the statue. Then the door was opened.
Going into a room no bigger than the entryway, a riddle taunted at them with another sealed door. Kol was quick to decipher it and said that blood was required. He tried to convince Nahlir to offer his, but before the conversation went too far Moses wiped the blood from his wound and the door was opened. This time, they were greeted by 3 hallways. Moses attempted to lead the way and went straight down to an old library, filled with moldy books. Kol found one depicting of some kind of experiment and handed it to Moses to try and make something of it. Moses’ studies had been more along the lines of the stars and constellations, and he couldn’t read orcish so he wasn’t of much use.
Heading back from where they came, they took a turn into a dead end where 3 sarcophaguses lay. Inspecting them, there were no engravings, no words, the dead had been left with the unknown. Moses thought about his own life and felt a shiver down his spine. The unknown.
Finally they headed down the last tunnel. Carrick rounded a corner and immediately a surge of energy flowed through the hallway and pushed everyone back. Bewildered and worried for the boys safety they hastily found themselves in some sort of alter room. In the middle lay Tomas and beside him, a book that stayed in a smoldering state. In the far end of the room was an alter of some sort and to the left the remains of an orcish statue crumbled by the force of whatever that surge was. Carrick quickly ran to check on the boy. After finding him alive and unconscious, Moses went to inspect the book that was beside him. It was hot to the touch and embers and ash filled the pages, but the book was unharmed. He tried to read or find some kind symbol to indicate what the book was or how it managed to stay in a state like this. Carrick took it and carefully wrapped it and put it away. It was at this moment, Moses heard the slow and dragging footsteps coming from the hallway. He warmed the others and everyone assumed an ambush position.
Moses was the first to act. He had an internal conflict on what he should do. He looked down at his gloved hand and clenched his fist, he knew what must be done to try and protect the boy. Moses took off his glove and shot a mote of light at an undead orcish soldier. After going behind the pillar, Kol rushed towards them and went to the wall where the hallway lead to and began to stab the enlightened undead with a furry of blows. It was once again laid to rest. Carrick having seen this one be devastated lead the charge on a second undead soldier. Having almost taken him out with a single swing, Nahlir sends his bird to finish the job. Pebblewick dug its beak deep into the socket of the soldier and on its return, began to ooze a green slime from its face.
Having taken care of this the ragtag crew was ready to back and return Tomas to his mother.
Or so they think…
To be continued…
