Open Chronicles Because Thomas Whistler Helped A Witch...

[Ynsidia]

Roads, back-roads to be more accurate, in and around Alliria had that unpaved, country road appeal. Nondescript in style, it was the scenery that made each path a wonder, a joy to travel, and discover. Meetings occurred on these quiet, often safe roads, but even outside of peace, during times of war strife, or of late, Pandemonium, these oft neglected, cherished veins that flowed the wanderlust about acted as the metronome for fate's eternal timing. Keeping an ever on and on pendulum swing between destiny and simple chance.

For as Thomas Whistler departed a safe, and pleasant life in one of the most just cities in the world for the open road, an oft harried and involved witch escaped a doomsday cult's underground lair with their fetish icon (a golden idol) in hand. One pendulum swing found Thomas Whistler at a fork in the road with an easy answer. Of course anyone would take 'Journey Way', rather than 'The Superior Road To Far Superior City Of Vel Anir'.

Another Pendulum swing back, and Ynsidia was booted out of a cart full of hay when the farmer discovered her sleeping among the straw to his alarm and displeasure. The oft fancy dressed Conjurer had to huff it from there, but came to a fork in the road while plucking straw from her garments and hair.

'Journey Way', sounded much more wistful and romantic than 'Deadest-est of Ends', and with potential neophytes out looking for her, she certainly didn't need to limit avenues of escape.

So Journey Way it was.

Providence cast its brand into the fires.

OOC: Welcome to Chronicles - anyone interested in giving him a warm welcome, Chronicles welcome hop in! Whistler, you're up! TAG!

 

[CatScern]

After choosing the obviously superior road known as Journey Way, Thomas made his way down the road. Whilst walking he saw something move in the corner of his eye. "Holy crap that is a large spider," he thought to himself while picking up the pace.
Thomas began to become bored with only the sounds of his footsteps, so he thought it would be a nice time to practice with his lute. Yes, that is how to stave boredom on Journey Way. Practicing a lute and keeping away from that spider.

 

[Ynsidia]

-From the opposite end of the road-

She heard the lute before she saw the player. He materialized around a bend in the road, playing with the fluency of one who pursued the technique out of pure enjoyment. Ynsidia believed she could tell the difference between the performance of those who played professionally for gain, and those who played for passion. There was a route, disciplined sound, a tautness to the composition that was made for taverns and street corners, with the best set before nobles in grand halls.

Then there was the playing she heard from the oncoming Thomas Whistler. Passion playing had a sort of wander to it, a raw conviction, but it was mostly fun, and free in heart.

Unconsciously, a smile rose to her lips as old memories ( by her standards) surfaced. It wasn't like she couldn't go and visit her old village, and the couple that had taken her in as their own daughter. What they had done for her was expensive, and a little risky, but they'd freed her from a horrid institution, and raised as best they could, around simple meals, kind words, and the same sort of carefree song that filled her ears now.

But a certain shred of shame always kept her away. How could she explain what she'd become to them? Ynsidia shook herself, and regarded the player more closely.

His attire was not like mummers, minstrels and bards, in that it wasn't bright and fancy to draw additional attention, she assumed it was a young farm hand enjoying are free time from the fields. Ynsidia performed a curtsy as they neared. Her head slightly bowed, she suddenly realized the young man had a short sword sheathed and a bit more travelling gear than the typical farmboy should out and errant from agricultural labors.

He was also rather clean about his arms and hands. Indicative of someone from the city. Country life was a dirty thing, and bathing in a stream was a twice a week occurrence in contrast to consistent well watered rag washing of one's person in say Vel Anir, Elbion or nearby Allisia.

Not initially intending to speak, as she didn't want to disturb the playing, Ynsidia couldn't pass up an opportunity to hire a fresh young sell-sword. His sword would be quick and his rates likely quite cheap!

"Hail, dear sir; may I inquire after the services your blade provides? I am in need of an armed escort. What is your charge?"

 

[CatScern]

Turning to the woman behind him, Thomas stopped playing his instrument lute. He took moment to think, "Armed escort? How much would that be worth?". Being entirely clueless on the rates of a mercenary he replied.

"Greetings, you say you seek an escort. Well I guess whatever fits your price range I would believe is fair."

Thomas did think it was odd that this person would ask for a bodyguard after starting her journey. But never mind that. It seems his beliefs were right. Maybe he was meant to be a mercenary, well probably not.

 

[Ynsidia]

"Greetings, you say you seek an escort. Well I guess whatever fits your price range I would believe is fair."

Ynsidia didn't recoil, or flinch in anyway openly, but winced inwardly, realizing then that she was likely talking to someone moonlighting. Even amateur mercs tended to have a price tag, some times over inflated, other times priced to move, but none let the customer name the price...not without some haggling involved, anyway.

Taking the young man before her in full regard now, she realized he wasn't likely known to violence passed tavern brawling, or barn-yard pugilism. Still, he looked more than healthy, and was unhealthily eager to take the job. He could, and probably would put up a fight for a bit of decent shine.

"Peaceful times in peaceful places probably makes it hard to sell your talents, I'm sure, but you should always hold firm to the minimum fare for your services, even if it is the rock bottom rate of 5 gold, and never accept a coin less..." Ynsidia started.

She pointed back up the way from which Whistler had come.

"Heading back towards Alliria there's a road called Reska's Route that leads to a small fishing village called...well, Reska, if you wouldn't mind taking me there for the 5 gold minimum, I'll give you another 5 gold to not ask me questions as to why I'm going there and to refer to me as Elveszett the whole way." she explained.

"Is this arrangement satisfactory?"

And she drew out five gold coins, letting them glint and flash in the sun enticingly.

 

[CatScern]

Ten gold already? Wow. He hadn't even gotten to another town and he is already getting job offers? Yes please! So the place they would be going is called Reska. A fishing town. Maybe Thomas could try his hand at fishing, I mean it couldn't be too different from baking, right?

"Yes it is. Well okay then, it's off to Reska. Oh, and I'm Thomas, pleasure to meet you." Thomas says extending his hand.

 

[Ynsidia]

Ynsidia palmed the five gold coins she held into his hand, and nodded presently.

"I am Elveszett."

She said casting a glance over her shoulder for a moment, seeing nothing in spite of hearing what sounded like a rustling noise. Dismissing it as leaves in the wind brushing the hard packed dirt surface of the road, Ynsidia turned and leveled her inky black gaze on Thomas, a reassuring grin on her face.

"With any luck, this should be uneventful. Easy..."

An arrow flew from the shady thick of the woods and flew way too close for comfort behind Ynsidia's back, cutting a sizable slit into her garish sur-coat.

"Painless!" she finished, darting to the other side of Thomas. Feeling safely shielded, she shrieked.

"Unless you're a short, female orc templar that can set divine fire to the woods, I suggest we run!...just don't outpace me!"

Several more arrows fell near them. Between Thomas' legs, and flying over his shoulder. The archer or archers were surprising trying to aim around him in order to hit Ynsidia.

"AAAAHHH! Let's go!"

 

[CatScern]

Gogogogogogogogo! That was the only thought that crossed Thomas's mind after a volley of arrows started flying towards him. Of course he ran with Elveszett. Thomas began to believe that the mercenary career was not the one that Destiny had for him. Adrenaline raced through Thomas while he heard the whizzing arrows shoot past him.

"Why are they shooting at us?!" he yelled in confusion and fear.

 

[Ynsidia]

Even under bombardment, and wanting to shriek her head off more than she already was, Ynsidia wagged a finger at Thomas Whistler.

"Nuh-uh! We had a deal about those other 5 gold coins, remember? you get them for not asking me questions I really don't want to-"

And a wild flying shot came from behind rather than from the side, flying straight at Ynsidia's head.

"-AAAAH-nswer!"

She narrowly ducked the shot in time; had she not seen a holocaust cloaked figure step from the woods with the arrow knocked, she likely would have been done right then and there. More cloaked figures, all wearing skull shaped half masks, and bearing bows with full quivers of arrows emerged from the woods and pursued. Thirteen in all, they put away their short bows, and started drawing Shotels sheathed at their backs.

Ynsidia looked wide eyed at Thomas.

"Please tell me you know of some secret short cut or side path to get us off this road!" she exclaimed frantically.

"Otherwise this is going to cloud up pretty quick!"

 

[CatScern]

Thomas, unfortunately, did not know of any secret path or short cut. He had 3 options. Ditch Elveszett and run, wait for a Dues Ex Machina, or run into the woods to try and shake off their pursuers. The first option would be a horrible thing to do, Thomas thought. As for the second and third option, Thomas believed that Destiny works in mysterious ways. He would not be getting a Dues Ex Machina because he already was given the answer to the situation... Book it into the treeline.

Thomas grabbed Elveszett's arm and began running away from the people that have been attacking them and towards the woods saying, "This way quickly!"

 

[Ynsidia]

"Great! He know a shortcut!" she thought.

Entering the woods proved problematic for Ynsidia, though; garish, billowy clothes likes to snag and catch, and the woods is full of various snags and catches! Every rip and tear was one of her various outer robes catching a branch or a bush. One of her beaded necklaces bearing several bronze sigils snapped on a snagging branch and clattered off some stones in the dirt at her feet. When she encountered another unexpected tug, she loosed that robe from her shoulders and left it to dangle on whatever caught it. Before long she was down to her outer tunic, and billowy red pants tucked into her fancy, black traveling boots.

A loud groan issued from her, lips flaring as her ornate headdress didn't come through with her on the other side of a large, painful to engage, rose bush.

"Without fail! Every time I go on an adventure, Chance finds a way to rob me of every stitch of finery!" she complained as they ducked under a massive, low hanging tree branch. They were getting into the deeper part of the woods. She wasn't sure if the crashing and clamber was all theirs or if some of it was from their pursuers, but she was not going to stop until Thomas did.

 

[CatScern]

After a couple of minutes running through sticks and stones, Thomas glanced behind him and Elveszett briefly. He hoped to see that the pursuers were gone.

 

[Ynsidia]

Coming to a halt, she watched her escort look about, and listen. She was panting, but stifled it in her tunic sleeve and tried to listen. Her heart was in her throat, and heartbeat in her ears. A steady drum that made it hard to make out anything but her own personal fear. But, she listened, as attentively as possible.

Nothing.

Her heart no longer racing after another minute, she simply heard the wind in the copse of the woods. Arethil's afternoon symphony. Then her mind raced.

This was clearly not a shortcut!

She flushed angry at first, but eased.

Thomas had done what he was paid to do. Be an escort and protect her. It was quick, reckless thinking, sure, but it was perhaps the smartest given the situation they were in. She smirked at the thought that between Thomas' zig zagging passage into the forest, coupled with several of her garments left hanging on various tree limbs, the cultists were probably scattered and scrambling every which way to find out where they went in the forest.

She hoped they found the same difficulty keeping their cloaks from catching on every flora tip in the forest!

Ynsidia, now calm, looked over at Thomas expectantly, and with a bit more appreciation than she'd originally invested before. Perhaps casting a lot on a complete novice was not a bad gamble all in all.

"So,"

She started, still breathing a bit heavy.

"Got any more decisive actions in your quiver?"

And she looked over her shoulder and issued an exasperated laugh.

"Because I'm all ears..."

 

[CatScern]

"We head to Reska." Thomas said in between heavy breathing. "Because that is the only smart choice available."

Thomas was still shaken, but he had a job to do. Processing the current information he had, he plans out what he hopes to do.

"Okay, so we came from over there," he points to where Journey Way is, "So we can walk side by side with the path back towards Alliria. Then once we are out of the woods, we can find the path Reska, sound good?"

 

[Ynsidia]

Ynsidia nodded.

"Works for me, but..."

And she withdrew a crystal phial from her sash. The phial was full of ink. Ynsidia twirled it around in her fingers.

"Perhaps we should get a bird's eye view of the area around us, hmmm?"

Popping the phial, she spilled the ink into a little depression she dug with the toe of her boot, the black liquid pooling. Then she took out one more phial that was filled with blood. She spilled the equivalency of six drop, looked skeptical, then dumped the whole amount in on top of the ink.

Then she hovered a palm over the mixture.

"Over thee I cast,
Myself is thine canvas blank.
Possibilities.
My blood is dawn red,
Coaxing you to awake now.
Breath your first day!"

The ink blood mixture trembled, then bubbled and jumped into night dark coils that snaked up onto Ynsidia's forearm, taking the form of a Raven. She petted it with a satisfied smile, then loosed it into the air.

"We have eyes above now. Eyes I can see through. Lead the way, and I'll let you know if our 'friends' happen to be close by."

 

[CatScern]

"Uh, yeah." Thomas said. Thomas wasn't near magic for most of his life, so this blood stuff was quite off-setting to him. Nevertheless they had to leave quickly, he wouldn't want another encounter with the masked murderers. And so they set off back towards Alliria. Thomas also started thinking that he should invest in a bow or something of the sorts... and maybe a shield... and armor as well.

 

[Ynsidia]

Walking side by side, along the path, Ynsidia noted Thomas' look of deep thought and stony quietness.

"I know that look." she said.

Ynsidia chuckled to herself.

"I get that look when I am already spending my earnings for a task, but haven't actually collected said earnings yet." she continued. "Don't worry, you'll get your full 10 gold, maybe a bit more just to cover the extra trouble, and potential collateral..." and Ynsidia trailed off.

She focused her mind, and poured herself a bit more into her Ink Raven as she detected movement. Seeing through the creature, she spotted four of their thirteen pursuers. They were close enough where one good noise could alert them to where they were. Then she tore herself away.

"Let's stop and lay low for a second. There's a big tree over their we can hide behind; some of our holocaust cloaked stalkers are close, so lets wait for them to pass by..."

 

[CatScern]

"Yep." Thomas whispered. He moved towards the tree Elveszett mentioned trying to have the silence of a mouse. Thomas, once hidden behind the tree, unsheathed his short sword. Though the last thing Thomas wanted to do was fight, he may just have to.

 

[Ynsidia]

The cultists lurched, and shuffled in their search. Their movement was an ungainly, disturbing thing to watch, but after a couple of white knuckle minutes, they scurried off and back down the road. Ynsidia followed them with her Ink Raven, spotting them re-entering the wood further down.

She blinked her eyes open, and summoned the Ink Raven to come back. Then she turned her inky black eyes on Whistler.

"Alright. All's clear; let's resume, Thomas..."

She said, standing and brushing herself off.

 

[CatScern]

"Is this worth it?" Thomas thought. Sure he was getting paid. But as soon as he took the gold, everything started to break down. No. It is worth it. This is experience. This is what Destiny has planned for him. He looked at their surroundings, and started to continue their path they had before.

 

[Ynsidia]

Awkward silence...

...

Ynsidia thought she was fine with little conversation, and few questions, but the silence left her thinking only of the foes behind them, and the underground lair she'd escaped from. Not pleasant thoughts. Her hand went subconsciously to the bulging sack-cloth bag tied to her sash.

The payoff was hidden beneath a thin lair of cheap material often used to insulate crates.

...

The silence proved to be too much.

"So!" she started suddenly, sounding chipper.

"Alliria, quite a city; you come from there?"

 

[CatScern]

The sudden switch from silence to nice conversation made Thomas jump. His recent encounters had put him on edge.

"Uh... Alliria? Yeah, I grew up there. In my father's bakery. What about you?" Thomas asked. He looked over his shoulder every couple minutes or so.

 

[Ynsidia]

Why did answering a simple question seem hard? Ynsidia concluded that it was a because of how complicated some parts of it would be to explain. She breathed in, long and slow through her nose, and exhaled through her mouth much the same. She turned her face towards Thomas, and managed a cordial countenance that wasn't as sullen as her typical.

"I'm from a village near Vel Anir, Gon Tarri, small, poor, peaceful, and perfection. Not much to go around, but at least everyone has a little something without having to still or fight for it. I was learning pottery when my calling came and collected me..." she explained evenly, looking forward again and staring at a fixed point ( a crooked tree) further down the path.

"Can't regret finding one's way, I suppose, but I do miss the pleasant little hamlet, and the company of my parents." Ynsidia added.

They continued on briskly, and Ynsidia waited for Thomas to toss back in their game of 'catch the potato'.

 

[CatScern]

"I won't lie, I already miss my father, it hasn't even been a week. Yet life is about letting go of one vine and jumping to the next, you know? I was a baker a couple of days ago and now... I'm a mercenary running away from cultists. It's just what Destiny has in store for me." Thomas replied. The conversation had put him a bit more at ease. Hearing another person's voice was much more enjoyable than the sounds of leaves crunching and the general feeling that you are being watched.

 

[Ynsidia]

"What destiny has in store...That's always the kicker, isn't it?"

Ynsidia remarked, remembering Destiny's way in regards to her own life. It was hard to pin down the why and hows of reason in regards to her own experiences. Every section except for the very beginning and the middle in Gon Tarri, was awfully hard accept as Destiny's way. Just bad luck, really. Even her own powers, and present life style was a burden from time to time. She wanted wealth without the work. She wanted power without being beholden to those who desired her to use it.

Walking away from it all at this point was fairly close to impossible, though.

"Why leave the simple life, Thomas, if you don't mind me asking?" she started, turning about and indicating there surroundings.

"What about what you've just been through in the last hour could be better than peaceful dispositions and the smell of fresh bread?"