Book 2: Southern Storm
Chapter 8: Border Crossing
During the march, your fliers keep careful watch over the path ahead. You get an opportunity to speak with the two merchants who volunteered to go along with you to transport you equipment. When you comment on how familiar the fiery-haired female looks, she explains that she has several sisters who all look incredibly similar. 'Several?' This woman is clearly insane. Her boyfriend Jake seems normal enough, though.
You set a leisurely pace, even managing to sleep at an inn the first night. By the second evening, you are approaching the Carcinan border. There is a small Valerian town on the border, and you consider whether you should rest there tonight, or strike through the forest. You ask Rain her opinion.
"It'll take a pretty good while to go through the forest if we're moving slow and trying no to be noticed... If we go in now, we'll attack the fort at dawn. If we wait, we'll go through the forest during the day and attack in the evening... I doubt word of the enemy's defeat will reach them for a day or two, and then it'll take them some time to fortify the fort..."
Bud offers his advice as well. "It'll be easier to sneak around at night, but harder to spot enemy patrols. If we go during the day, they'll see us more easily, but if we're vigilant, we should be able to get the drop on them anyway."
The monk Saul sent with you has been sitting quietly in the back of one of the wagons for the entire trip; he seemed to be meditating, so you did not disturb him. You're surprised when he sneaks up behind you and speaks. "My master has informed me that there are... things in this forest. Foul miscreations, abominations in the eyes of gods and men. Mayhap we would be better to rest in town this night."
Anna jumps up. "The town sounds good to me! I'd love one last chance to stock up on goods before we cross the border." Does she think this is some kind of shopping trip?
"Are there any risks to sleeping in the town?" you ask to no one in particular.
"Men from Fort Gagar used to come to this town's tavern from time to time," Dan begins. "But that stopped when we started preparing for the invasion. Even if some Carcinan troops come by, they won't think twice of a few Holy Knights stopping by, not with our small numbers."
You certainly know how dangerous the woods can be, especially at night, and it may be better to attack the fort while rested...
(A) Sleep in the town, cross the forest in the morning
(B) Head into the forest immediately
(C) Send a team to check out the town before deciding (can choose C and D, list party)
(D) Send scouts the forest outskirts before deciding (can choose C and D, list party)
Town team: Rain, Haley, Walt
Forest team: June, Ferris, Jessup
"Rain, why don't we split up and investigate? You take Haley and Walt to scout the town, and I'll take Ferris and Jessup to check out the forest. We can meet back here in an hour and decide what to do."
"Sounds good to me. Everyone else, watch the convoy."
You grab Ferris and Jessup and set out for the forest. Jessup seems less than thrilled to be taken to a dark forest in the dead of night, but he doesn't say anything; Alyssa glares at you, but doesn't say anything.
As you approach the forest's edge, you begin to feel a sense of dread. Marth is acting nervous, so you dismount and leave him a safe distance away as you take a few hesitant steps into the woods. The thick trees block out what little light is left, and you can't see very far. Even Ferris seems on guard, his hand on his sword hilt. "I don't like this, June. Night is for sleeping, not hiking through the forest..." You're about to tease him when a rustling sound grabs your attention.
You scan for the source of the noise, and finally set your sights on a bush a few feet away. You put a hand on your axe. Whatever it was, it's too big to be a rabbit... Suddenly, a white-furred head pokes out of the bush. A fox stares at you with its golden eyes. "Oh... Hey little guy. Out hunting? Sorry to disturb you." The fox holds its gaze for a moment before disappearing back into the growth. "I don't know what John was worried about. This forest's dark and all, but-"
A loud growl cuts you off. You turn, and a large bear stands before you, solid black with glowing red eyes. As you reach for your axe, it lets out a loud roar. You raise your hand and slowly begin backing away. It glares at you, but doesn't move. Ferris is pulling Jessup back as well, and when you reach the forest's edge, the bear turns and walks away, giving you one last glance.
You meet back at the convoy. Rain and her team fly up a few moments later. "I spoke with the tavern owners. There's plenty of room for us to stay the night. It seems the town used to frequently host Carcinan and Valerian soldiers both, kind of a place for the two groups to come together and blow all their money gambling and drinking. But a few weeks ago, that stopped, it seems Dan was right. They've only had a few travelers stop by lately."
So, brave the forest at night, and hope there's just one very grumpy bear, or wait for the day and risk running into enemy patrols?
(A) Stay in town
(B) Enter the forest
"There were... things... in the forest, and it was very dark. I think we'll be better served heading into town and resting until tomorrow." Rain nods, and you turn your convoy toward the town.
You walk into the inn to ask about rooms, the others following behind you. The innkeeper informs you there are more than enough rooms available. "We ain't had too much traffic since them Carcinan's stopped comin'. That there lady's the only visitor we've had fer days." He nods towards a woman sitting at a table eating a bowl of soup. Her back is to you, and you can only see her long lavender hair falling over a long, golden cloak that reaches to the floor, hiding her entirely.
Agni takes a step back. "T-Taika?"
The woman drops her spoon in surprise, before whirling around. Her brown eyes lock with Agni's, and she leaps from her seat. As she charges at Agni, her cloak billows open, revealing that she bears the same tanned tone as Agni, accentuated by the revealing, minimalist outfit she wears. She blows past you with surprising speed, tackling Agni so hard that they both fall to the floor. Agni struggles to free himself, finally breaking free of her hug and sitting up. "Agni! I was starting to worry I'd never see you again! Um... Who are all these people?"
Agni helps her to her feet as he introduces you each in turn. "This is Taika, a friend of mine from Terranus. We had been traveling with each other on our discovery journeys for a period of time, but we were being separated when we were being attacked by bandits. I am being very glad to see you in one piece."
Taika giggles. "I see you've still yet to master the local language. So, what brings you all the way out here?"
Agni hesitates for a moment. "We were... heading into Carcina. We planned to cross through Sefa, but the forest seems a bit... dangerous at night."
"Hehe... Well, you made the right choice. I might have missed you otherwise! Plus, there's all kinds of things in those woods... Giant spiders, for one." She shudders slightly. "Disgusting creatures... Plus, there's the forest guardian."
"Forest guardian?" Rain asks.
"An unusually large bear," Taika explains. "He's been around for years, but lately he's become more... protective of his territory. He doesn't seem to mind people passing during the day, but at night... Well, this is really lucky! You can rest here tonight, and tomorrow we can set out!"
"We?" you ask.
"Well, of course! I was heading into Carcina myself, but I wanted some... protection when I passed through the forest. I was hoping I could find some Carcinan knights heading home from a night of drinking and just tail them, but... Well, I'm certainly not passing up rejoining with my long-last partner! Where he goes, I go."
Agni smiles, the shadow of a blush appearing on his face. It seems you have a new follower. The innkeeper clears his throat. "Well, this is all very touchin', but ya'll wantin' rooms er not?"
New Character!
John
Class: Monk
Skills: Illuminate (reduces effect of darkness), Purge (slight bonus against Risen)
HP: ****
Str: **
Mag: ******
Skill: *****
Speed: ****
Def: ****
Res: ******
Luck: ***
Items: Light, Purge, Vulnerary
New Character!
Taika
Class: Lightning Mage
Skills: Luck+, Acrobat, +Knife
HP: *****
Str: ***
Mag: ******
Skill: *****
Speed: ******
Def: ****
Res: ***
Luck: ******
Items: Arcthunder, Fire, Steel throwing knife
You awaken the next day to find Taika and Agni catching up over breakfast. The others gradually trickle in. You note that Alyssa and John come in from outside, so you assume they awoke before you. As soon as everyone's eaten, you head outside to find Anna and Jake already set to go, with a few extra crates tucked into their wagons. "Found some really good deals around here! This stuff ought to sell pretty well down in Carcina... If we can make it that far."
As you enter the forest, you keep a close watch out for the giant spiders Taika mentioned; you notice Taika herself sitting in the wagon, clinging to Agni's arm like a frightened child. Whether they are nothing more than a myth, or you just got lucky and avoided them, you find no spiders by the time you halt your caravan for lunch. The forest guardian is also blessedly absent, you notice.
As you prepare to get moving again, you ride to the front. Just as you are about to announce that it's time to go, Alyssa holds up a hand to stop you. You freeze, and everyone follows your example. Alyssa points through the trees, and you can make out a pair of cavaliers slowly walking along another, smaller trail running near yours. Their armor is clearly Carcinan, but they seem too absorbed in their conversation to notice you. "-don't know why we're doing these stupid patrols, it's not like Valeria's going to attack. Their capital should be in ruins by now, they'll probably be celebrating by the time we get off-duty-"
There's some tree cover in the way, but your archers could probably shoot through it. It's not enough to hide your entire caravan, but these guards seem to be paying almost no attention. You aren't sure if any other patrols are nearby, but you can't see any...
(A) Signal your archers
(B) Signal your mages
(C) Signal your riders
(D) A and B
(E) Stay very... very... still...
You slowly reach for your bow, signaling Bud and Syrene to do the same. Agni looks at you and raises his tome questioningly. You nod, and he, Taika, John, and Jessup all begin muttering under their breath. One of the guards stops. "Do you hear something?"
The other keeps going. "Eh, probably just the wind, or a rat or-"
2 arrows and a gust of wind catch him in the side of the head, and he falls to the ground. His horse whinnies and runs off. The other's horse is struck by a lightning blot, and falls to the ground shaking. The rider was hit by a pair of what you could only describe as blinding pillars of light, and falls to the ground with his mount. Bud aims an arrow at the fleeing horse, but Wendy grabs his arm in horror. "It's not heading toward the fort, there's no need..." He sighs and looks at you. You shrug, and he lowers his bow. Wendy gives him a quick hug. "Thanks."
He blushes slightly. "Uh... Yeah."
Rain giggles behind them. "You two are so cute together." At this point, they're both as red as Agni's cloak. "Now, if you two lovebirds are done, we should get moving before we bump into any other patrols." Everyone makes ready to leave, and you happen to glimpse behind you as you're about to set out.
In the forest behind you, you notice... something. The figure looked like a young girl, but it disappeared as soon as you looked.
(A) A lost girl? (Choose one person to investigate with you, can't choose Rain)
(B) An enemy spy? (Choose up to two to investigate with you, can't choose Rain)
(C) Something more dangerous? (Choose up to three to investigate with you, can't choose Rain) (Alyssa, Walt, Ferris)
(D) Order extra guards to the rear, but keep moving
End of Chapter 8