"Are we really going to stall because the three of you supposedly smell something weird," Jabble questioned, looking over his shoulder. "The hill where the necromancers are isn't too far off."
"You're the only one not smelling it," Yasira pointed out. "Your sense of smell has always been awful."
"An' it smells somethin' fierce as well," Valida held onto her nose.
Nora let her companions bicker, taking a sniff of the air around her. There was a rancid smell, one that would not bode well for the group. The forest that surrounded them was long corrupted by the mighty dragon that made its lair there. Yet, the smell in particular came from their right. While the others continued their debate, the halfling strolled off by herself. She was content that she could defend herself if she came under attack, if only long enough for the rest of her companions to aid her.
Sure enough, she found the rotting corpse of a deer. Nora gagged as the smell hit her full force, nearly falling back. But she pressed on, examining the deer. Although she considered herself to be the smart one of the group, the skills needed to investigate this scene were beyond her. There were tracks she could not hope to identify and there was something off about the fallen deer. She sighed, and turned her head towards where her companions were.
"If you're done arguing, I've found something!" Nora called out. "A deer and some tracks!"
That got the attention of the rest of the Viridian Guardians, thankfully. They made their way over to the fallen deer, with Valida and Yasira quickly criticizing Jabble for his terrible sense of smell. Jabble was asked to stand guard while Valida and Yasira handled the investigation. The dragonborn was able to determine that a moss had grown on the deer, one that was sickly in nature. Valida looked out for the tracks and gasped in horror.
"This isn't good," Valida muttered. "We're in wolf territory. Their huntin' grounds."
"So, we're being hunted?" Nora asked.
"Most likely," Valida nodded. "If I had te take a guess, they have a dire wolf or worg as their packleader. They won't let us leave."
"Then we'll just have to plan a trap!" Jabble declared. "We just need bait!"
"Wolves are likely to go after someone alone," Yasira noted. "Someone unarmored."
"I see how it is," Nora sighed. "If I die, I'm going to haunt you all."
"Duly noted," Jabble smiled, walking away. "Come, friends! Let us take cover!"
Jabble led Valida and Yasira away into the cover of the tree. Nora sighed, sitting down on a rock. This was not her first time placed in a situation when she could die, and truth be told, she was not afraid. The warlock knew where she was going when she died, and although it was not a pretty place to go to, she knew where she was going. Such was the price for her actions.
The wolves came. Thankfully, it was a small pack. A big wolf led two smaller ones that flanked by its side. Much like the deer, green moss grew out of their mangy hair, and surprisingly enough, their drool had turned into a sickly green. Nora took a breath in, not doing anything to resist the approaching wolves. Let them get closer, and closer. It was only when one of the smaller wolves dashed at her that she nearly took a step back.
Jabble was swifter than both Nora and the wolf. He was in between them, swinging his flail about in his hands. He lashed out with his weapon across the skull of the beast, ending its life in one blow. The dire wolf maneuvered around him and tried to pounce on Nora, but she jumped away, avoiding the wolf. With Yasira and Valida engaging the remaining wolf, the halfling would have to hold out against the dire wolf.
Nora chanted in Halfling, forming a ball of purple energy into her hand. She launched the Eldritch Blast at the dire wolf, striking it in its flank. The beast growled and advanced on Nora, biting into her leg. She screamed out in pain but her companions, having finished off the final wolf, quickly aid to join her. Valida and Yasira attacked it with their rapier and mace respectively. Nora fired an eldritch blast into its face at point blank. Finally, Jabble finished it off with a swing of his flail down on its neck.
"Victory!" Yasira exclaimed.
"I'm not being bait next time," Nora growled.
"We're bein' watched,'' Valida announced, looking up at the sky. "It just went poof, but I saw someone scryin' on us."
"Most likely the dragon," Jabble noted. "We push on regardless. We have our quest and we shall not see it forsaken!"
"Let me heal you, Nora," Yasira offered.
"Don't worry about it," Nora shook her head. "I won't bleed to death. Valida, help me get to where we're going."
Valida hesitantly nodded but agreed to help her friend. The halfling wrapped an arm around her neck and the dwarf helped her follow after their other two companions. The four traveled onward, eventually coming upon the meeting site on a large hill, with several humanoids gathered around a black tent. There were two ways to climb up: through the path or climb the rocky way. Jabble insisted on taking the latter option, reasoning that the first path was the one watched by the cultists.
Jabble climbed up the rocks with a rope strung around his shoulder. Once he reached the top, he would secure the rope so his companions could climb safely up. While the gnome went off with that, Valida insisted on at least performing first aid on Nora's leg injury. She tore off part of her colorful costume to use as bandages to tend to her leg. Although she was distant from her friends, Nora was thankful to have the Viridian Guardians to look out for her. There were one of the few good things she had left waiting for her.
Eventually, Jabble made it to the top, tying up the rope and letting the other end fall down for his companions to climb. Yasira climbed up first while Valida tied the rope around Nora's waist. The dwarf climbed up next, and when she reached the top, the trio pulled the halfling up. When she reached the top, they were to the back of the black tent, where there were three strange beasts waiting for them. Corrupted gryphons, Nora realized. Much to their fortune, they did not sound any alarm.
"We'll come back for you three later," Jabble declared. "Let us first dispatch the cultists. Take some alive from both parties if you can."
The other three adventurers nodded in agreement. The group split up into two groups to go on separate sides of the tent: Nora and Valida, and Yasira and Jabble. Advancing on the group, Nora could make out that two tieflings guarded a bald wizard wearing red robes, talking to three cultists of the Cult of the Dragon. For a brief moment, they had the element of surprise, and the Viridian Guardians would not waste it.
Nora quickly cast another Eldritch Blast at one of the tieflings, striking him in the head. He fell down, unmoving. Valida chanted a spell, weaving her hands towards the cultists. Two of them fell down onto the ground, loudly snoring. A trident struck the other tiefling, quickly disappearing, before a golden bolt of energy finished him off. The wizard and remaining cultist looked on in shock. Nora tried to cast another Eldritch Blast, but it singed her hands. She gasped out, taking a step back, with the cultist looking towards Yasira and Jabble.
"Little one, you should run," the cultist whispered, his hand movements being that for Suggestion.
"Ha! A Viridian Guardian never flees!" Jabble declared.
"Two can play at that game," Valida smiled, making similar hand motions. "You should turn on the cultist. What has he done to serve you?"
While Jabble rushed forward and jabbed at the cultist with his trident, the wizard looked dazed, Valida's words slowly affecting him. He turned on the cultist, stretching his hand, and unleashed a barrage of Magic Missiles on him. The cultist let out a scream of pain, his anger not fading even when Yasira struck him with her mace. He advanced on the wizard, uncaring of what happened. Nora blasted him with Eldritch Blast, but that did not slow him down. The cultist pulled out his dagger and stabbed the wizard with it.
"Snap out of it!" the cultist shouted.
"Grah!" the wizard shouted.
The cultist continued with his shanking, although he did twist his body to avoid Valida and her rapier. What he could not dodge was another barrage of Magic Missiles. These did not come from the wizard, but rather Jabble. The cultist fell down, dead. The wizard, bleeding badly, dropped his spell tome and fell down on his knees, an act of surrender. Nora quickly snatched up his tome while Valida worked on binding his hands. Yasira tied up the sleeping cultists together.
"He's with Thay, Jabble," Nora informed him. "A necromancer."
"Well, the Cult of the Dragon deals with dracoliches, yes?" Jabble shrugged.
"Not the new branch," the wizard grinned. "We're aiding them over the old one. My mistress, Zaralda, aids Claugiyliamatar. You will not be able to win the battle once she raises the fallen to fight against you!"
"Boring," Jabble pointed his trident at the wizard's neck. "Why are you aiding Old Gnawbones now?"
"Wouldn't you like to know," the wizard chuckled.
"We would," Nora nodded, forming an Eldritch Blast in her hands. The wizard did not flinch.
"Let me give a try," Valida smiled, whispering silently into the wizard's ear from behind.
"Uh, of course," the wizard's cheeks were notably red. "We've been searching for a powerful artifact, the Green Dragon Mask. It rests with Claugiyliamatar's hoard. We have been working to convince her to let us have it."
"Thank you!" Valida cheered, then struck the wizard out cold. "Sorry about that. I really didn't want to do what I promised."
"Uh, of course," Nora slowly nodded.
"Yasira, secure the prisoners! Val, search the tent! Nora, tend to the mounts!" Jabble shouted out his orders. "I'll get in touch with Day and Jarsali. They're going to want to hear from us."
Jabble pulled a small rock from his pocket, a speaking stone. It was a last minute gift from the gathered forces, allowing for communication amongst the groups. The gnome whispered to the stone while Nora walked off to check on the griffons. She looked forward to engaging the necromancer in battle. Perhaps she had finally found her match.
A/N: While reviewing my notes to update character sheets (a project previously mentioned in some of my other Dungeons and Dragons fanfics), I noticed that I had three chapters of this story that I have yet to post. Why I didn't post them I will never know, but hey, better late than never, am I right?
Character sheet updates went more smoothly. I was happy with how most of the Viridian Guardians were set up already, although I will admit that one character has their subclass changed. Who that is will be revealed shortly.
If you like the story, feel free to follow it and leave a review if you feel compelled to.
Until next time.