Barin: You sure about this? We don’t have any idea who she is; besides, she’s looking at me funny.
Dugo: Trust me on this, friend. I think she likes you.
Barin: Alright… <smirk> you think so??
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1 AM
11th of August – Red Ripple Pub
Dugo: So let me get this straight… I’m a Milleuian prince, I’m a master swordsmith, and an expert swordsman to boot?
????: Not exactly a prince. More like the adopted son of the king. For whatever reasons he had a the time, King Veda took you under his wing after a terrible accident in the royal armory. No one knows what happened, but you were the only one to emerge from the flames. For a year and a half, you lived the life of a prince and began to earn the trust and respect of the people. This all took place about ten years ago…
Barin: That puts us at about the time Dugo showed up on the Green Isle.
????: Not quite; Dugo disappeared from Veda’s court on the second anniversary of the accident. his quarters were missing nothing, his horse was still in its stable, and nobody had seen or heard anything out of the ordinary that day. He simply vanished…
Dugo: Wait, hold on a second everybody. I want to know one thing first. How exactly do you fit into this whole story?
????: My name is Najen. I am the Elgofiian assassin Veda hired to kill you.
Naelroe: No! You can’t hurt Dugo!
Najen: I’m not going to hill him now… I already failed once. It’s the only time I’ve ever failed.
Naelroe: Well excuse me if I’m not exactly heartbroken over that…
Dugo: Not to be selfish or anything, but can we get back to talking about me?
Najen: I can explain more as time goes on. All I can tell you right now is that I’ve been looking for you for the past five years. It seems I wasn’t the first person to find you, though. The firestorm that destroyed your homes wasn’t just a freak weather condition. Only the arcane magics of the Rexarian sorcerers could cause the devastation you describe.
Apul: Rexarians? What land do they come from?
Najen: No one knows; the only thing I know about them is that they serve the emperor of Sloefig. Everything about them is shrouded in mystery, but it is said that they hail from a nation far beyond the reaches of the outer ocean.
Barin: Now I really an finding all of this very interesting, and I hate to interrupt, but does anyone smell… smoke?
Naelroe: Look out the window, the docks! It’s our boat!
Barin: MY BOAT! What the hell is going on!?!
With the night sky lit up with the inferno from the docks, the band of five set off full speed towards their only mode of transportation. Barin, Dugo, and Najen reach the docks to find a dozen armed men, watching the boat be engulfed in flames. Najen pulls out twin daggers from beneath her cloaks and impales the nearest brigand. Dugo unsheathes his sword and enters combat with the now alerted enemy. Barin manages to retrieve the sword leftover from Najen’s handiwork, and jumps into the fray.
Apul and Naelroe arrive at the scene to find their three friends engaged in battle with a band lf black-clad men. Dugo has three bodies strewn about him, and parries the attacks of what looks to be the leader of the game. Swords clash and sparks fly as the steel blades dance through the air. Behind them, Barin and Najen stand back-to-back fending off the attacks of an encroaching circle of bad guys. Najen’s daggers pierce leather and flesh like a hot knife through butter. The opposition thins out as Barin knocks off his second foe. Only Dugo and his adversary remain. Apul and Naelroe run over to Najen and Barin to aid in any way they can, but all they can do is watch as Dugo battles it out. Dodging sword swipes, Dugo ends up backed against the end of the dock. Behind, the still burning skeleton of a ship. Ahead, the charging blade of a deadly adversary. In a skillful showing off of a talent long gone unused, Dugo throws off the attack of his assailant and trips him off the end of the dock into the flaming heap.
Escaping with only minor cuts and scrapes, the three warriors return their blades to their sheaths and breathe a huge sigh of relief. It finally becomes clear that this is a journey that is going to be fraught with danger. Their journey, however, seems to have come to an end as they gaze upon the burnt beams and warped boards of the once renowned Element…
Which Gate Will You Choose?
A Pirates Life For Me
Barin: My boat…
Najen: Those men had to get here somehow. They must have a boat anchored somewhere around here. I don’t think they’ll be needing it anytime soon.
Dugo: Well then, let’s go about finding this pirate ship of ours.
My Feet Hurt
Naelroe: That long run made my feet hurt guys… Can we go back to the inn now?
Barin/Najen/Dugo: <glaring looks>
Apul: Hey guys, I think she’s right. We need to get some rest. You three most of all!
This poll ends on August 7.
