Hello, Everyone!
Welcome to the beginning of yet another chapter of Mary Windfiddle's story!
Last time, while crossing the Swamp of Agony, we almost got eaten by a Demon! We'd previously happened upon the place it was summoned in, and found out that there was something anchoring it in our dimension. Later, when Mary saw the creature trying (and failing) to get rid of the Anchor, she felt sorry for it and offered to help. As thanks, it almost ate her, but Bruno saved her at the last moment with a quick Banishment.
Meanwhile, Agatha took the Anchor from the Demon's flesh. It turned out to be a strange wooden dagger who, according to the tabaxi, was talking inside of her head. Like daggers do.
Right.
Bruno was fuming. He was in Mary’s face, ranting about her reckless Messaging with the Demon, but she wasn't listening to him anymore. All he did was lecture her, and why? What she did wasn’t a bad thing. She helped a wounded creature find its way home. Yes, before Bruno Banished it, it had wanted to ‘feast’ on her, but it was only because she’d interrupted its own attempt to teleport back.
Now, she could gather what was left from the Demon. Its dark red blood floated on the surface of the swamp, framed by the water like an oil spot, and she was able to fill a whole vial with it. It was sure to come in handy!
"Tesaya?" Aurum said. "How long until we get to the dragon's prison?"
"About three or four hours."
"Well, I think it’s time we had a… drink," the bard suggested with a grin.
Tesaya looked at him with a puzzled expression and Agatha even gave out a small laughter, but Mary and Bruno looked at each other with understanding. They knew what Aurum was referring.
"We got that bottle from under the Misty Sea," Mary explained, taking the Zaga from her Bag of Holding. "Fought an Elemental for it. It’s a special kind of wine with magical properties."
They opened the bottle and drank, passing it from one person to the next. It was strange, it didn’t even feel like wine, with all the spices and herbs in it. As Mary drank, a small tingling began on her tongue and travelled down her throat. For the next hour or so it dispersed through her whole body, making her feel full of energy and strength.
"I have a question, actually," Aurum said. "What are we going to do with the elves when we meet? Kill them?"
"Easy now," Bruno said. "What about just ‘capture and interrogate’?"
"Or, you know, we can try to talk with them like people to people?" Mary said. "Convince them that they're on the wrong side?"
"Riiight," Agatha said. "And then I'll get another wooden stick to play with."
She waved her new cursed dagger and coughed up a laughter.
Mary looked at Bruno who was nodding sternly. She scowled at the ground. Anger began rising in her chest.
"I can't understand why you keep on nagging me!" she snapped.
"Who?"
"Everyone!"
"I actually like it that you're more assertive," Aurum said. "You were way too stale before."
Mary glared at him. "I was what?"
He looked flustered but before he had the chance to explain himself, Agatha cleared her throat.
"We react that way because we're worried that you're putting yourself in danger…" she said.
"And us, too," Bruno added.
"Ahem," the tabaxi continued, glaring at him. "We just show our concern in a very stupid way."
Mary stared at her hands, her brows almost a straight line on her forehead.
"Mary, what's actually the matter?" Tesaya said.
"It's like you think that everything I do is wrong!" Mary snapped.
"It's not like that," Tesaya said.
"No, it's not," Mary continued. "I did call to the Demon, but we just talked, and we helped it, and things ended up ok. Nobody was hurt!"
"And I have a stick now," Agatha said, grinning. "Mundus says 'hi', by the way."
The conversation shifted to the wooden dagger and its mysterious inhabitant. Bruno and Tesaya took turns asking what it was and what it could do, and Agatha served as a mediator, giving them Mundus' replies. Mary was left pouting a little bit away from the group.
Aurum sat next to her. "I misspoke earlier," he said. "What I was trying to say is that I find you much more confident now, and that's nice."
Mary's heart fluttered. She wasn't expecting a compliment right after her outburst.
"That's, um…” she said quietly, trying to sound more sure of herself than she was. “It's the only way I can help the people that I care about."
She looked him straight in the eyes, wondering if he’d get that he was, in fact, ‘the person she cared about’.
"Was it because of what happened with the Undead?"
She frowned. What did that have to do with the current conversation? It was indeed after that fight that she began fearing that she wouldn’t be able to keep her friends safe. She’d started putting herself out there to prevent them from suffering. But how did Aurum know? Was he paying that close of attention to her actions? She felt her cheeks flush but tried to stop herself from thinking too much about it.
"Yes," she said, "but it was because of Lanurey, too. We couldn't save her and it still weighs on me."
She looked at his expression carefully. Did his face darken just now? She knew it! He wasn't over Lanurey. The bard was silent for a couple of breaths, staring at her with a pensive look.
"You know what?” he said finally. “You'd look even more confident if you started showing off your battle scars."
Mary's hand shot towards her scarf covering the mark the zombie had left on her neck. She rubbed it and felt the hollow of the missing flesh under the fabric.
“Why would I do that?” she mumbled. “All they show is that I've been careless enough to get myself hurt!”
(And they’re ugly, she added to herself. She didn’t want to say it out loud because it sounded vain, but she felt it every time she looked in a mirror.)
“They show that you’ve survived whatever tried to hurt you,” Aurum insisted. “That’s actually really impressive!”
“You just say that because the battle scar you have only makes you look cool.”
Aurum grinned and twirled the white strand of hair around his forefinger.
“True,” he said. “But if I had more, I’d show them proudly. As should you.”
Mary smiled but shook her head. It was nice of Aurum to care… but she knew better.
I love Aurum! So supportive and kind! If he wasn't such a womanizer, he'd be the perfect man!
I bet Mary could fix him 😆
Anyway, see you next time when we'll finally get to our destination!!! Dragon Prison, here we come!
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: Mary Windfiddle's story is 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.