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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Sept 10, 2022 18:39:36 GMT -5
Being so tall gave Shaa an excellent vantage point over his surroundings. No moaning fiend escaped his gaze as he continued his gore soaked parade around the campsite. Utral and his band very smartly huddled in a bundle by the fire to stay clear of any accidental trampling. As he didn’t have to worry about anyone friendly getting underfoot, it didn’t take very long to finish off the hoard of the undead.
With a couple well aimed leaps, the undead were all now either planted safely unground, or broken into pieces too small to be of any consequence. To be on the safe side, Shaa ripped up a smallish tree and placed it on the pile on unconscious bandits. The tree wasn’t big enough to squish them but they would not be going anywhere anytime soon.
After a final check, he looked around for Tatalia and Zak. After a bit of searching he finally found them none worse for wear next to a dead woman and a very worn looking giant spider. Looks like they were able to take care of themselves much to his relief.
Shaa whispered Camps all clear, come on back. Shaa took a few strides back to camp and started releasing the earth energy from his body. Shaa looked over at a slightly disturbed Utral and snorted. I think that deserves another bowl of stew.
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Post by Tatalia on Sept 10, 2022 21:33:32 GMT -5
Zak sat on down beside the goblin, and Tatalia just laughed at his words. He expressed exactly what she was thinking, and she flopped backward onto the grass and just heaved out a sigh.
"If this particular brand of chaos is going to be the theme of this trip," the goblin muttered, "then I think I am going to have to part ways with Shaa once we deliver the first letter. It seems as if every danger we've encountered has been larger than life, and the resolution even more so."
Shaa came by next, whispering from up above that it was safe to return to the camp, but Tatalia really didn't hear the giant. No, she was tired and done moving around. She just crossed one leg over the other, closed her eyes, and went to sleep right on the edge of the hill.
Whatever happens next is a problem for tomorrow's heroes, the goblin thought to herself. Tonight's heroes are taking a well-deserved nap!
Thankfully, there was nothing incredibly dangerous for tomorrow's heroes to contend with. The night passed to dawn, and a few hours after that Tatalia woke up, stretching and yawning. She joined up with her fellow couriers, wished the dwarven merchant and his shaken company goodbye, and headed toward the town to deliver a letter.
Tatalia really hoped the delivery of the letter would be a simple affair. She'd started the journey off enthusiastic about the scheme she'd had in mind, but after everything else that happened, well... it seemed an almost paltry affair. Still, her plan was a good one! Probably! So that's why she urged Shaa to stick to it.
"Remember," Tatalia told the minotaur quietly, "make sure to give her the 'right' letter. The 'correct' one. You understand?"
The little quotes could practically be heard squeezing around the words 'right' and 'correct.' Tatalia squinted up at the minotaur.
The plan she'd suggested before was, of course, to 'accidentally' give the woman receiving a letter one of the other nearly identical promises of eternal love and devotion contained in some other letter to some other woman, then to make sure to give the woman the right one afterwards and take the old one back. It was a perfect scheme in Tatalia's eyes, and would both result in Shaa doing his job and in the fraud who sent him being exposed. It wasn't foolproof, but it was pretty great! Mostly!
And that was why Tatalia was winking at Shaa like her life depended on it as they arrived at the door of the woman who was going to receive the fateful letter.
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Post by Zak on Sept 14, 2022 15:14:52 GMT -5
Zak remained behind on the road as Shaa and Tatalia approached the woman’s front door. Not much of a fast talker, Zak felt it was prudent to let Shaa and Tatalia execute the scheme they had cooked up to outwit and expose Shaa’s client.
The house and yard appeared to be well cared for. A winding path led up to the woman’s door, and flower beds and leafy bushes lined the front of the house. A cat lay sunning itself on the porch. It glanced up briefly at the goblin and minotaur as they approached, but quickly resumed its grooming, obviously not overly concerned with their presence.
From his vantage point at the front of the house, Zak noticed a shadow moving around the side of the house. He quietly moved in that direction, stealthily skirting the flower beds and bushes. As Zak turned the corner, he caught sight of someone peering into a side window. Was that Rory? What was he doing here? Not wanting to make himself known to the man, Zak crawled into one of the bushes edging along the side of the house. Hiding behind the bush, Zak spoke to Shaa with his thoughts. Shaa would clearly hear in his mind, “Shaa, it’s Zak. Be careful. Rory’s out here looking in one of the windows.”
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Sept 14, 2022 15:49:37 GMT -5
Shaa was about to knock on the familiar door. The woman who lived here’s name was Denai and she had always been very kind to the Minotaur. Never ran away screaming or anything. This would be Shaa’s 4th visit to her home and one he normally looked forward to.
As he was about to knock on the door, he looked down at Tatalia who was still winking at him furiously to the point he thought she may have gotten stuck that way. He bent down and nodded at her very slowly and distinctly so there was no confusion.
Shaa turned back to the door when a thought came to his head. Shaa, it’s Zak. Be careful. Rory’s out here looking in one of the windows. Shaa wasn’t used to telepathy but he could tell that the voice in his head wasn’t his own. What in the heck was Rory doing around here? They hadn’t seen him since before the campsite. Shaa knocked on the door hesitantly.
After a couple moments, a small woman in her early 30’s came to the door. She had short brown hair, big eyes and a slightly crooked smile. She wore a bright yellow sundress with a white apron in front and was walking around barefoot. She had obviously been in the kitchen as her hands were covered in flower and some sort of frosting.
Ohh there he is! I expected you yesterday, I was so worried! Denai ran up and gave him a little flowered hug. And who is your friend? Well any friend of my big hero here is welcome. I am just getting some cupcakes out of the oven. Come in! come in!
Shaa followed Denai into the small entryway and motioned Tatalia to follow.
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Post by Tatalia on Oct 2, 2022 14:27:32 GMT -5
Tatalia wasn't privy to Zak's warning, but she did sense that something was odd. Her keen senses1 told her someone else was lurking nearby. She didn't think much of it at the time; perhaps it was just a particularly fat cat making noise near one of the windows. However, she made a mental note to keep an eye out for mischief.
All pretense of wariness went out the window as soon as food was brought up, however.
"Cupcakes? Did you say cupcakes?" Tatalia mused as she strode in after the woman, licking her green lips. Truth be told, she hadn't had a good cupcake in what felt like... a whole year! A cupcake sounded wonderful.
With their original objective well out of Tatalia's mind, the goblinoid woman took a seat at the woman's lovely dining table. Their host, a pretty woman of about thirty years of age, was generous enough to offer both Tatalia and Shaa a couple of the many cupcakes she'd just finished baking. The cup of tea was wonderful, too, and being allowed to sit at a fine table in a cozy little room with a tiny little yappy dog panting near her feet made Tatalia feel right at home. It reminded her a little bit of the better times in her youth, actually. It felt good to be able to relax!
"So, did you bring my letter, sir?" the pleasant woman asked Shaa.
Tatalia's heart sunk immediately, and her good mood was replaced by guilt. She felt really bad that her plan was probably going to ruin the sweet woman's day, or even her whole week, but... she really needed to know she was being deceived.
Still, it was too much to bear. Tatalia excused herself quietly to let Shaa and Denai speak, and she skulked over to the window to crack it open and get some air. Unfortunately, she must have been too swift and quiet2 about opening the window, because she felt the window hit something with a SMACK! A curse and a groan rose into the air. Tatalia blinked and saw...
"Rory?!" the goblin exclaimed, eyes wide. "Oh, wow! What were you doing right there?! I didn't mean to break your nose!"
Abilities used: 1. Increased Senses; 2. Silent Step.
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Post by Zak on Oct 2, 2022 16:32:03 GMT -5
Zak crouched in the bushes watching Rory stare through the window. Since Rory seemed satisfied for the moment with simply watching the goings on inside, Zak decided to wait the man out. What in the hells did he want here? Zak wondered. Had he followed them from the field or was this woman’s house his original destination? Zak’s musings were suddenly interrupted when the window opened and smacked Rory right in his nose. Rory reeled back with a grunt, hand to his face. Once Tatalia’s voice rang out, Rory seemed confused, unsure what to do or where to go. He jumped back from the window, and frantically glanced around. Zak figured it was time to make his presence known. His hand still holding onto his broken nose, Rory gasped when he saw Zak standing tall right next to him. Zak grabbed the man’s arm and pulled him further away from the house. “ What are you doing here?” Zak growled, his voice quiet but strong. “ Tell me,” he commanded, shaking the man. “ Did you follow us?” Rory cowered, but then quick as a wink, pulled away from Zak and began to run. “ Damn,” Zak cursed under his breath. He really didn’t want to hurt Rory, not knowing the man’s intentions. But… Noting the direction Rory was taking, Zak blinked, disappearing and reappearing directly in his path (1). Rory tried to stop his momentum, but stumbled and shakily stood up right in front of Zak. Sparks flickered at Zak’s fingertips. “ I don’t want to hurt you, Rory, but you’re not going anywhere,” Zak commanded. Before Rory could react, a whip shot out from Zak’s hand, and he quickly wound it around Rory’s legs so that he couldn’t move. " There you go. Stay still. Wouldn't want those thorns to dig in any further." “ What do you have to say for yourself?” Zak demanded, irritated that he had to resort to violence to stop the man. Rory sat down on the ground with a thud, and pulled out a rag and began wiping the blood off his face. “ I have nothing to say,” Rory replied, his voice muffled from his broken nose. Zak sighed, and glanced at the house, wondering when they’d be done with the visit. He figured he was stuck with babysitting the mysterious Rory until Tatalia and Shaa finished conducting their business. They’d find out what Rory was up to soon enough, he supposed.
(1) Blink (2) Thorn Whip
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Oct 3, 2022 7:58:09 GMT -5
Shaa was uncharacteristically quiet as he sat and ate his cupcakes of shame. Shaa had already thought this through several dozen times and this WAS the right move. This would free Denai from his crooked employer. This would end the charade and that was a good thing right? Shaa looked over at the barefoot woman who was sipping her tea, smiling away and absently dreaming of a man who would never come for her. There was no way around it. He was the destroyer of dreams, even if they were false ones.
Shaa knew the plan but, in the end, his Minotaurness got the best of him. That stupid side of him that looked at subtlety as more of a hilarious concept than a reliable tactic. That base instinct that said “If this problem were squished flat as a pancake, would it still be a problem?” It was the instinct that got him banned from several bars. It’s the instinct that removes limbs from fight equations. It’s the inexorable pull from the part of his brain that is the reason most people run away from rather than towards his kind. It was so unfair.
Shaa watched as Tatalia excused herself from the table for some reason. He may have to search her later to make sure she didn’t acquire anything in her meanderings. They were already ruining her day, they didn’t need to make it any worse. Danai was smiling at him, patiently waiting for her familiar bottle. Shaa placed the bottle on the table in front of him just out of her reach. Denai melodically chuckled a bit. What are you doing silly? Hand it over. Stupid instincts.
Shaa reached into his bag and pulled out the other two bottles. He then gently pushed all three in front of the now confused woman.
Hey now. Have you been holding out on me? Did he write me poetry, such a romantic! If it wasn’t such a nice door, Shaa would have run right through it and never looked back. Denai opened the first bottle. You are losing your touch. This bottle isn’t for me, it’s for some woman out in the sunset plains….then she notices the handwriting. I don’t understand….she opens the second bottle and a tear rolls down her cheek. I don’t….why? .. She opens the third bottle, reads the note and carefully folds the paper and places it in the pocket of her apron. I think you and your friend should go now…I…don’t have any reply. Shaa looked over at the woman helpless. He stood up and went to go find Tatalia who was standing at the window.
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Post by Tatalia on Oct 12, 2022 6:08:08 GMT -5
Meanwhile, poor Rory was learning what it looked like to be interrogated by amateurs. He was far too busy being annoyed to death to actually overhear or witness Shaa's actions.
"Right, we DON'T want those thorns to dig in any further! By Avasha's arse-feathers, we don't need to TORMENT the guy!" Tatalia squinted over at Zak, then turned back toward Rory, smiling. "He'll tell us what we want to know, surely!"
"No, I won't," answered Rory flatly.
"Yes, you will!"
"Never."
"Never say never!" Tatalia answered sweetly, then smacked Rory across the face with... with... well, it looked like a dead spider the size of a small dog, but it was actually just magical putty.1 It had the desired effect, however: Rory blinked several times in shock as he struggled not to scream in arachnophobic horror.
"EW! EW! WHY?!" he demanded, shouting as he struggled to get his arms free enough from the vines to wipe what was supposedly bug guts off his face. "That is DISGUSTING! Why would you do that?!"
"I wanted to! And I'll do it again if you don't tell us what we want to know!"
The prisoner let out a high-pitched whine that only dogs could hear, then snapped sharply, "Fine! Fine! I work for the minotaur's employer! He wanted me to make sure the letters arrived where they should!"
"See, that wasn't so bad, was it?" Tatalia replied merrily, swiping goop off the side of the spy's face. "Well, you can tell your employer that the letter was delivered! I don't see why you had to be a snoop about this whole affair."
Deciding that Zak could handle matters on his own, Tatalia circled on back around the building, meeting Shaa on the opposite side just as he left the house. Tatalia summed up the situation to him as best as she could in a quiet whisper, finishing with a gesture to suggest they leave.
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Post by Zak on Oct 12, 2022 20:19:25 GMT -5
Obstinate, Rory didn’t come clean until Tatalia smacked him with something or other –Zak wasn’t sure what– finally getting his full attention. Zak burst into laughter at Tatalia’s “Because I want to.” Brilliant, he thought, shaking his head. Before he knew it though, Tatalia ran off, leaving him with the creep.
Zak just wasn’t cut out for this crap. If only he hadn’t ever agreed to be part of the crazy scheme. Zak glared at Rory, all of his frustration from the last few days evident in his expression. “Tell me. I mean, what the hells. Shaa was delivering the damn letters. Why send another man? What’s up with that?”
“Who are you and shorty over there? Why are you with the minotaur? Answer me that,” Rory retorted. Further irritated that the man kept giving them attitude, Zak pulled on the whip, causing the thorns to dig in a bit further. Rory let out a moan, and shut his mouth. Respect your captors, idiot, Zak mumbled, scowling.
“None of your concern actually, but no mystery there. Simple travel companions heading the same direction,” Zak replied with a shrug, waving his hand dismissively. He relaxed his stance, taking a deep breath. Shaa and Tatalia should join them soon, and then Rory was Shaa’s problem, and Zak could wash his hands of the whole thing.
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Oct 13, 2022 9:50:54 GMT -5
Shaa walked behind the house and saw the rest of the group, Rory wrapped up in a vine whip. Confused, Shaa asked for the run down on what was happening and opened his eyes wide.
You work for Gareth? Shaa was surprised but as he looked back on it, maybe not that surprised. He had been complaining about the whole thing recently and Gareth was a fastidious business man, so taking precautions like sending back ups shouldn’t be surprising. Well it’s over, she knows, and soon enough the others will know as well. I’ll make sure of that.
That’s a mistake bull man. It’s more than just Gareth that has a vested interest in this little enterprise. If you do this, you will make some powerful enemies that don’t like their pockets getting picked.
Shaa looked at his hand and flicked a piece of dry cupcake frosting from his nail. Rory had just made a serious mistake. Did you just threaten me little man? Shaa walked slowly up to him and looked him straight in the face. Who exactly do you think you are talking to? Shaa started to feel his blood get heated the more he mulled the situation over in his head. Let me be clear. Your little band of back alley hooligans does not worry me in the slightest. You tell them to send whoever they want. Send them all. And I will send them right back to you Shaa gets really close and whispers menacingly in really tiny boxes….. I dare you….
Shaa pulls off the thorn whip and punches Rory hard in the gut, causing him to double over. Ughh
Beat your feet, I have business to discuss. Rory runs back down the street and then out of sight.
Shaa turns back to his companions. Hey guys, thanks for coming along with me. I know you both would rather not come with me to the next destinations, and if the first half of trip is any indication of what’s waiting, that’s probably for the best.
I wish you well and safe travels. Here, it’s not much, but it’s what’s left of the travel budget. Shaa holds out a couple piles of coins in each hand, extending them to Tatalia and Zak.
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Post by Tatalia on Oct 13, 2022 10:30:44 GMT -5
"You know I didn't embark on this journey for any coin," Tatalia mused. "But I certainly won't say no to money!" The goblin grinned cheerily, then snatched her share of the coins, tucking them away into one of her many pouches.
"You should probably find a new source of income either way, big guy. If you'd just not spoken to Rory, we could've finished this in a way that you got paid while helping these women, but..." Tatalia shrugged and turned away. "Well, you made your choice! I won't say I agree with it, but that's really just a matter of approach. It's certainly a bolder, braver way of handling things, though I'd suggest a little cunning any day of the week."
The goblin's grin faded into a sincere smile, and she tucked her hands into her belt. She considered her companions, then told them gently, "I'm going to be headed to Gazablaak, then off to the Moon Glade to meet with a friend. If you ever need me, just tell Tiny Two-Toes at Gazablaak's inn. He'll make sure I get word."
Tatalia started to leave, then stopped and curiously glanced over toward Zak. "Do you know where you're headed next, by the way? I do wonder when I'll see the both of you again."
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Post by Zak on Oct 14, 2022 11:04:32 GMT -5
Zak chuckled as Rory ran off. Shaa had surely burned that bridge, but it was most likely for the best. The minotaur seemed to be tired of going along with his boss’ schemes so it probably was the right time to move on.
Zak waved away Shaa’s offer of payment. “Not necessary, my friend. Appears to me you’ve just lost a source of income and need every coin in your pocket.” He held out his hand to shake Shaa’s and said, “Good luck on the rest of your journey.”
Gazablaak? Zak repeated to himself as Tatalia said her goodbyes. Perhaps this wouldn’t be goodbye. “Well what do you know? I’m headed the same way, King’s Valley by way of the Marsh Fields. If you’re so inclined, I would quite enjoy joining you on the trek. The road to Gazablaak is always filled with both wonder and danger, and a worthy companion would be most welcome.”
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Post by Shaa Rhunn on Oct 14, 2022 11:13:08 GMT -5
Shaa laughed and shrugged his shoulders. Coins come and go, I’m not too worried about it. If those idiots do send anyone after me, I’m sure they will be happy to donate to the “ I bugged Shaa, and this is my punishment” fund.
In truth though, I am glad to have met you. I hope we see each other again some day. With a wave of his hand, Shaa headed towards Sol City and the next leg of his trip.
Epilogue
After delivering the last message to a very unhappy maiden, Shaa headed off to the swamplands to fight in the pits and possibly get a drink after. There was always something going down at the pits and he needed to blow off some steam.
Although no one else tried to stop him, Shaa could not shake the feeling that someone was coming. If they did come for him though, he would be ready.
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