Hello, Everyone!
Last time, our heroes concluded their conversation with Dynatos Perres and received their next mission – go to the Swamp of Mysery and stop the Order of Falka from releasing the dragon imprisoned there. It was going to be a difficult task but they were up to it.
But before that, they had to have the night to rest and recuperate. After all, Tesaya was pretty badly hurt, and the rest had had an encounter with a dragon only an hour or so ago!
(Also, I made an art post that you might have missed. Here's a link if you're interested!)
The streets between Dynatos Perres’ office and ‘The Maimed Lion’ were dark and quiet. Mary and her friends walked slowly, propping Tesaya up and helping her walk.
“Sooo, do you remember when I said I had other means of gathering information?” Agatha said when they were nearing the inn.
Mary did remember. The tabaxi’s ‘gathering of information’ was one of the events that led them to meeting Nurvureem unprepared.
“I have an informant that I can see this evening, before we head out,” Agatha continued. “He’s supposed to be in something called… ‘Park Ignas’?”
“We know the place,” Bruno said. “Want us to come with you?”
Mary glanced at him. He looked so tired and spent, she doubted that he’d be able to keep his head up much longer, let alone help if spells needed to be cast.
“Nah, I’m good,” Agatha said. “Just point me in the right direction and I’ll be off.”
“I can send some familiars with you,” Mary suggested. “If you need an extra… paw? Claw?”
“Some what?”
Mary explained the concept of her spell. Bats were a usual sight in the city at this time of night and wouldn’t attract unwanted attention, so she folded a few and sent them flying above the tabaxi.
“I’d be able to see and hear through their senses,” she explained. “So, if you need help or something else, just call for it.”
Agatha nodded and turned around. Soon, her silhouette disappeared on the rooftops.
Mary and her friends reached ‘The Maimed Lion’ and went up the stairs to settle in their abode. The whole inn was occupied by the Ekobian boys they had brought, and they had only one four-bed room at their disposal. With Tesaya present, it was going to become a bit crowded.
The elf woman was still too weak after what she’d been through. Even though Bruno and Aurum had managed to heal her substantially, only a sound sleep would let her body finish what they’d started. They helped her take off her armour and tucked her in one of the beds. Mary cleaned and mended her clothes with a few flicks of her wand.
While they were busy with that, Mary occasionally flashed to her bats and watched Agatha sprint through the city. Her parkour included climbing on buildings and jumping from roof to roof. It was just as impressive as the last time Mary’d seen it.
When Agatha finally reached the park, Mary concentrated on fully being in her bats’ senses. She positioned them around the tabaxi and watched the unfolding scene through their eyes.
A dark-raincoated figure was sitting on one of the benches, hidden from view by a large-brimmed hat. Agatha approached them and said something, while her hands made a series of gestures that looked like some sort of a secret code. The figure--her informant--moved to one end of the bench and patted the place next to them.
Agatha sat and they talked. Mary’s bats couldn’t hear what they were saying but the tabaxi didn’t look very pleased with the conversation. At two instances she reached into her pouch and handed the person some money, but that didn’t seem to help with the conversation.
A little while later, the tabaxi left the bench and, when she was far enough from the informant, she looked around to the tops of the trees. The bat Mary was currently looking through fluttered down and landed on her hand.
“Try and track him down,” the tabaxi said. “See if he goes and tells someone about what I was looking for.”
A few bats went on to carry out her request, and the rest followed her back towards the inn. Mary was ready to leave her and see what the informant was doing… but then, suddenly, a dark figure sprung from behind a corner and grabbed Agatha, plunging a blade in her back.
“Agatha is in danger!” Mary yelled out. “Someone’s just stabbed her!”
Bruno and Aurum jumped up from their beds.
“Oh, come on, now?!” the cleric grunted while putting on his armour. “Can’t we have a break?!”
Mary went back to the bat’s eyes.
Agatha blocked the attacker’s second hit and, stumbling for just a moment, she bolted off.
*The bat dove down and fluttered in the masked person’s face, trying to distract him and buy the tabaxi a few precious moments. The attacker cursed and patted it away, and then started running after his quarry. Following from the top of the buildings with her remaining bats, Mary was able to see Agatha get the lead.
The tabaxi was much faster than her attacker. Soon, he slowed down. He cursed. Then, he looked around, as if to check if anyone was following him, and hid in an alleyway. Mary sent one bat after him and witnessed him take off his cloak and mask, and change his clothes to less conspicuous ones. He looked around again and, now with a normal pace, went out on the street, pretending to be just a late-night stroller.
Agatha burst through the inn’s front door right when Mary, Bruno and Aurum were tumbling down the stairs. Her whole back was covered with blood and she was hardly standing on her feet.
Aurum rushed out and picked her up. He muttered some soothing words and Mary noticed the tabaxi’s frame straighten. He’d healed her with his bardic magic.
They helped Agatha go up the stairs and, seeing the heavy look Leon gave the blood stains they were leaving on his floor, Mary flicked her wand to clean them up. When they were finally in the room, Agatha sat down and gave out a long and pained sigh.
“All right, time for some explanations,” she said. “That guy was sent by Mustro. I worked for him back on the Islands. He was something of a father figure for me and my siblings. Not a very good person, but it took me too long of a time to realise that.”
According to Agatha, Mustro was the one supplying the Green dragon’s army with weapons. When she threatened to tell the authorities, he said that he would hurt her siblings.
“And so, that's why I decided to venture here and tell the people on the continent.“ She winced and held her side. “It seems Mustro didn’t like that.”
“I’m sorry,” Mary said. “And thank you. I hope your siblings are ok.”
“Yeah, me too…”
Phew! This long and eventful evening is finally over, and nobody died! Let's hope that the morning will bring out heroes closer to their goals!
See you next time!
Take care and be well!
(Also, here's a link to the Chapter Guide, the Glossary and the Map for the series. You're welcome!)
An important disclaimer: These are my notes from a D&D game turned into a narrative. All the worldbuilding and NPC encounters belong to our DM, and all the actions of the other main characters (Aurum, Bruno and Agatha) belong to my co-players. My contribution to the story is only everything Mary-related (actions, reactions, inner thoughts), as well as the writing itself.