Adventures of Era-Davos

We travel along the road. Dusty and dirty and not much foot traffic around recently.

"Lillian, are we close yet?" Rasuran asks.

I look to the East and watch some birds fly by and hold my necklace and speak to them. They tell me that Hollows Grove is close.

Rasuran adjusts his armor and just grumbles to himself. He never believed in the druidic magic, very much a gnome of military, discipline, and order. I smile at his demeanor and look to Rasona and my smile fades.

I don't see her face, but I know what it looks like. Grey skin with hard features. Soft eyes and an orange fabric wrapped around her head which hides it. Her weapon strapped to her back and one hand holding her abdomen several times. I don't bother saying anything because I know she wants to be left alone.

The three of us continue to march silently down the road. I’m wearing my bear skin over my leather armor. My hair shaved on the left side showing the slight curve of my half-elven ear. My dark green eyes watching. I have tattoos of my kin on both my arms, and I have a birth¬mark that resembles a wolf on my left hand. I walk with my quarter staff.

Rasuran, a rock gnome stands 3'6 with brown eyes and long brown greying hair. Dirty pale skin covered in worn chainmail armor. His axes attached to his sides and his shield and battle axe on his back. The hair is kept back out of his face. Wearing a necklace of a copper toad around his neck. He has a scar that runs down his left hand and always has padded knee and Shoulder braces.

Rasona, a deep gnome walks with a staff as well. Standing 3’4 and with dark brown eyes and long brown hair. Dark grey skin covered by an orange scarf. Large build and averagely muscular. Small button noose and her maul strapped to her back with her hand axes and javelins on her back and size. She also wears a golden ring on her left ring finger.

We walk in silence finally seeing the hamlet. We walk up and see the strange water homes the Genasi live in. They look to us and some stare, but most go about their business.

Their homes are clay/wood buildings with a water bubble replacing the roof. They go in and out of their homes with water skins which they go to another circular building.

Rasuran goes and speaks with a couple of the locals and after a few minutes he comes back. "They say that Damitris is in his home up the road a bit." Rasuran says.

I nod and look to Rasona who is still looking to the lowering sun.

"Are you alright?" I ask her. She breaks her trance and looks to me then looks to the road.

"I'm fine...".

I just watch her walk forward a bit and then I look to Rasuran who looks to me again not showing emotion and leads the way.

I watch them walk away then follow. Why do they hide their feelings. I am still getting used to non-animal companionship and I miss it greatly.

We walk a few minutes then arrive at Damitris home. A solid sleek stone building, two stories tall with a 3-pointed roof. Rasuran walks up to the large wood carved door and bangs on it.

A few seconds go by then a couple locks are heard unlocking and the door opens.

5’10, very muscular and bald. Large horns with the right one etched in a blue design. shirtless with a long black coat. A gold tattoo of chains is seen across his left peck. Solid frame with dark purple skin. "Good Afternoon, how can I help you?" Dimitris says slowly but with confidence.

Rasuran hands him the folded-up letter and Damitris opens it and smiles and moves out of the way "do please comes in" he gestures.

We walk in smelling a strong dark oak flavor that hits the nose. I love it.

He leads us to a shady room. Immediately what catches my eye are 14 cases placed on the wall directly across the door. All filled except one with a gold leaf placed perfectly on what looks to be a purple pad.

"Thank you for making great haste. I was surprised to see someone so soon," Damitris speaks as he sits in his chair of silver thread.

"We were at Leaf Door when we saw the job opportunity." I respond and look at some items people call books.

"Is the reward the same?” Rasuran asks before Damitris can speak. He smiles and opens a drawer and pulls out a small pouch which he opens then places it on the desk.

"400 gold as promised." He says and leans back and watches. Rasuran checks rudely and nods to us and puts it back on the table.

“Your job as said in the letter is to find a lost artifact?" Rasuran asks.

Damaris nods and replies, "I was secretive due to the rarity of the item and not wanting the letter to fall into other unwanted hands."

"Does it have anything to do with these cases?" I ask while investigating a leaf. It looks to be a solid gold belly leaf.

"That is correct," he walks over and looks with me at the leaf then back to us, "I have come across the location of a leaf that I need to complete my research. You will get the gold once I get the leaf?"

“Only for research?” Rasona asks.

Damitris somewhat surprised gets a glass of dark liquid and sits back down "Yes. Research purposes."

There is a slight pause then Rasona stands up. "Where?"

Dimitris points out the window "North about 15km, there you will find an old fort. Inside is where the leaf is."

"Anything else we find in there is ours." Rasuran states.

Damitris smirks and nods as he takes the gold pouch and puts it back in his desk. Rasona saying no more turns and leaves.

Rasuran and I nod to Damitris "We will return with your leaf." I tell him before exiting. We leave and immediately set off North.

During the walk I speak to animals asking about the fort. They all say that people who looked like small dragons lived there before a creature in the night came in and killed many before they fled. All that was heard was a low cackle.

I tell the others about what we heard "Probably some beast of sorts." Rasuran replies, "Nothing to be worried about.” I nod but still have doubt linger in my mind.

We make it to the fort as the sun gets lower and the light start to fade. "Should we wait till dawn?" I ask.

"Better go now while we still have light. The sooner we get this done the better." Rasuran responds.

Rosana just gets her maul ready and gets up and leads the approach.

The fort is not large, crumbling wooden walls, a broken gate hanging by rotten wood. We slowly approach on guard, and we look at the surroundings of the fort. It is abandoned with the few remaining buildings all collapsed in. The main barracks is the only somewhat standing building left.

We look below us for any tracks and find some animal tracks. I motion to the group and show that the tracks lead to the barracks. They nod and I go to the centre with Rasuran on my right and Rasona on my left.

Slowly we approach and see human tracks with the animal tracks. I take a deep breath and getting up to a wall I slowly look in. I see grey shadows of two dog like creatures, almost look like skinny panthers. They are chewing on a carcass with a man poking at an ember light bonfire. I can see a small chest under him and look in the direction of the others and count down with my fingers.

1, I put my quarterstaff down.

2, I touch my pendent and call on my kin to give me strength.

3, We all jump out and attack the beasts.

The Jackals, which what I thought the two skinny panther creatures were, immediately charge Rasona as she is the closest to them. They jump at her, and she pushes them back. She swings at them but misses them both.

The humanoid man stands and charges me morphing into a beast creature, a humanoid Jackal who rushes me with teeth out biting towards me. It bites my arm before I am able to defend myself. Rasuran charges shortly after and pushes the Jackelwere back from me and fights it.

Meanwhile I look to see Rasona fighting the jackals and screaming loudly after one of them takes a chunk out of her left leg. I move back and the Jackelwere bites Rasuran on his shoulder. While biting him my eyes go wolf like, my fingernails grow, and teeth sharpen, and I charge it slashing at the beast driving my nails into its arm.

Rasuran backs me up and drives his battle axe into its side dealing a mighty blow. It screams in pain and the jackals stop attacking Rasona and look to their alpha and run to its aid. Rasona gives chase and swings but couldn’t connect with them. The Jackelwere bites at Rasona this time seeing an opening and bites her arm. Both Rasuran and I swing at the beasts infront of us and miss.

The jackal lunges at Rasuran but he pushes it off with his shield and Rasona over arm swings her maul and crushes its chest caving it in.

The Jackalwere bites at her arm again and chews it a bit more. I am fighting the other jackal who bites my leg somewhat.

Rasona now fights the Jackalwere and swings widely. It counters with a bite to the same arm; you can see lots of blood dripping from her arm and some color fading from her face.

I help Rosana and claw down the Jackelweres back, blood soaking my hands nearly killing it.

The remaining jackal jumps at my side seeing the opening, but Rasuran chops its head off mid air, and it tumbles past me to the ground.

Rasona consumed with rage swings blindly and misses allowing the Jackelwere to bite at the other arm this time.

I drop the savage nature, pull my scimitar out and slash up its spine and stab into its heart. Its hands and arms go limp, and it collapses on the ground.

Rasona collapses and is breathing heavily. I rush over and hold my hands to her arm. My hands glow a dull green and her wounds slowly heal and the slight grey tone in her skin goes back to normal. I look around after helping Rasona sit up and see Rasuran opening the small chest and takes out a small item wrapped in cloth. He tucks it in his pocket and looks to me.

"I got it. Can she walk? "He looks to Rasona.

She stands up on her own "Lets get out of here” we turn and slowly, battle wounded head back to Hollows Grove.

We walk and see no one in the streets as its early night. We make our way back to the house and as we make it up the steps the door immediately opens.

“Lord, are you alright?" Damitris asks.

Rasuran pushes past him and heads to the office and makes a glass for himself which he drinks quickly.

Everyone else follows and Rasuran hands over the clothed item. "Your leaf." Damitris attitude changes from caring to entranced. He takes the leaf, unwraps it and smiles in achievement. He rushes to an empty glass case and gently places it and waves his hand and a seal shimmers on the case then disappears.

'”Your reward." He shows on the table but with an assortment of other items.

"What are these?" I ask while investigating an apple with a slight green glow.

"A bonus, for completing it a lot quicker and being the only ones that came quickly. Choose one each and its yours". He waits to stand by the now filled glass case.

Rasuran picks up a shield. Its design is of a black circle with a sun creeping over and a sword behind the light. "The shield of Aluna, allows the user to gain an enhanced amount of strength and durability.” Damitris says. Rasuran nods and takes the shield.

Rasona looks to the items and picks up a small bag and looks to Damitris. "Ahh yes, the gems of the Deep Eganvale. They were mined deep in the mountains of the Phallias Wall. Very valuable gems." Rasona nods and puts them into her bag.

I look at the remaining artifacts. A silver ring that glows a faint amber catches my eye. "The Ring of fire, a ring allowing the holder to be more resistant to fire for a certain number of times."

I hold it up and it feels like it calls to me. I put it on, and it burns slightly but then cools to a warm temperature.

We gather the gold and Damaris lead's us out. "Here take these, you will feel rejuvenated, and your wounds will heal." Damitris hands us 3 containers I saw the Genasi carrying earlier.

"Thank you." I say and nod my head.

"No, thank you. If I need your services, can I call upon you?"

"If you have the coin, we will be here." Rasuran replies before we leave, and we all venture back to Leaf Door.

We walk past the homes and in the dead of night we continue our journey.