PATHFINDER: MADNESS RISING
Chapter 2 - Shady Streets
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The pilot steered the boat alongside a small dock, and the crew began throwing ropes to the men on the banks of the river, who proceeded to tie them around large wooden logs in order to secure the boat. With a slight creak, the boat was pulled and pinned to the dock, and the crew began unloading several crates. One by one, the passengers, stood up from their seats, stretched their aching limbs, and began to make their way to the dock. Dario and the three travelers he had met - the elven woman, the male dwarf and the girl with the oddly-colored eyes - were among the first in line, and they saw that the men on the dock were armed with short swords or spears, and their clothes - red coats that had seen better days, with chainmail armor and half-spherical metal helmets - quickly identified them as members of the city guard.
The blond young man looked out of the corner of his eye behind him at the young black-haired woman and the little hooded figure. Once again, the latter tried to hide his (or her) face as best as possible, taking advantage of the encroaching darkness. Dario thought that he was probably trying to pass himself off as a gnome or a halfling - if he actually was a member of either of these two races, he would have had nothing to hide. Both races were accepted in Grisborgo, although the halflings had a (not completely undeserved) reputation as thieves and swindlers. He made a mental note to keep an eye out for that mysterious character - one had better be safe than sorry, after all, especially in a place as turbulent as Tilea.
Finally, one of the men on the dock turned to the passengers, and motioned for them to get out of the boat and line up in a brusque manner. "Okay, folks! Y'all get off the boat! You got to get checked! No trying to get smart, okay? Come on, everyone here! One by one!"
"Okay, okay! No need to be a jerk about it..." Nisa answered in annoyance. "Okay, guys, just a little longer and we're good to go. I just hope we can find a cheap enough place to spend the night at."
"As soon as we can, too. These streets kinda give me the creeps." Pandora continued, suppressing a shiver as a sharp breeze began to blow . Dario hugged his cloak a little tighter and followed the rest of the line as they passed through the scrutiny of Grisborgo's guardsmen. With a wave of his spear, one of the guards motioned for them to come forward, and Dario and the others walked before them, passing under their scrutinizing gazes. Dario was able to pass without issues, with Pandora and Nisa following after (even though Nisa had to suffer some lewd comments from a particularly horny guard, and had been sorely tempted to punch him in the face to shut him up).
However, Gunter seemed to be attracting some attention, mostly because of the large cloth-covered object he carried on his back.
"And what is this?" one of the soldiers asked, tapping the cloth with a short sword. "Is that some kind of strange weapon you're carrying with you, dwarf?"
Gunter held back a rude answer. "It is a weapon, yes. But as you can see, it is well packed, and I have no intention of using it." he stated. "I brought it with me because I will need it later. We are adventurers, after all."
"Really?" asked another guard in a suspicioud tone. Gunter could swear, that guy was enjoying keeping him and his traveling companions on pins and needles. "And how do we know that you are trustworthy? For all we know you could be a bandit trying to infiltrate the city and pull off a few heists!"
Gunter sighed and took a sheet of thick paper folded in half from his pocket, then opened it and showed it to the inspectors. "If you would like to take a look at this document, gentlemen... that would be all the proof you need!" he stated. The guardsman nearest to him rudely grabbed the document and looked at it with an annoyed expression... but moments later, when he realized that the document was genuine, his expression immediately became contrite and astonished, and his tone suddenly changed.
"Ah... what the Hell... damn, I had no idea that... In this case, I have no reason to hold you back. Maybe ... next time, I would kindly ask you to talk about these details in the first place, before the inspection even begins." the guard said, quickly handing the document back to Gunter, who rolled his eyes and accepted it. Pandora and Nisa looked at each other in resignation, having already seen similar scenes far too many times to count, while Dario frowned, not quite sure what was happening.
"Okay, lad. I'll remember that... hopefully." the dwarf answered as he put the document back in place and passed by, beckoning his traveling companions to follow him. Fortunately, the two girls and Dario did not arouse any such suspicions, and it seemed that the inspection would end soon and without further complications ...
"Hold... hold on a damn moment, gentlemen! What are you trying to do? " the voice of the young black-haired woman she had traveled with them suddenly spoke up. Two guards had approached her and her little hooded companion, and were looking at the small figure with menacing expressions. The little guy kept his head down, so as not to show his face... which was, of course, exactly when the city watch members wanted to do.
"Who is that midget? Why won't he show his face? " one of the two men asked abruptly. "Hey, pipsqueak! You have something to hide, by any chance?"
The black-haired woman named Maria grit her teeth in an expression of both annoyance and alarm. It was true, to be honest… the two of them did have quite a few things to hide, and they couldn't afford to be caught right now. She had hoped the two of them could get through the checks without any problem, but such a hope was quickly dashed… and now she had to figure out another way to get by.
"You see... my partner's face was horribly scarred by fire when he was young." Maria told the first lie that came to mind, but she herself realized that it was not a very good excuse. "He... would rather not show his face."
Dario immediately turned to see what was going on. The young woman's attempt to deceive the guard sounded quite clumsy - only a gullible fool would have fallen for it, and these guards were not gullible fools.
"It will take more than a couple burn scars to spook us." Another guard answered. With a quick and unexpected movement, he reached for the small figure, took its hood and pulled it off the creature's head, and the small hooded figure let out an alarmed exclamation when his appearance was revealed!
Dario's eyes widened in surprise as the cloaked figure's appearence was revealed: he was just three feet tall and had reptilian features, to the point of looking like a lizard that had somehow learned to walk on its hind legs. His body was covered in blue scales that turned white on what little of his chest could be seen, and his arms and legs were short, but robust enough for the creature's size. His mouth was relatively wide, and small but sharp teeth protruded from his jaws. The small creature's hands and feet were armed with short white claws, and behind his back, but the rest of his body was well concealed by the white sleeveless shirt and the black pants he wore. Now deprived of his disguise, the humanoid reptile looked at the guards in dismay, trying to think his way out of this.
"Heh. I don't see all those scars." the guard answered sarcastically.
"A kobold, huh?" the other soldier went on, his voice filled with contempt. "You were trying to sneak into Grisborgo to do some shady things, right, you filthy little snake?"
The kobold's expression went from shock to indignation. "Tch... even if Iaco says no, you no believe me." he stated. "I am not here to do bad things!"
"I... I am here to keep an eye on him! He is in my custody!" Maria intervened after a moment of bewilderment. "I'll make sure he doesn't cause any problems! Not that I need to... you can trust Iaco not to try anything funny."
"Really, miss? And why should we believe you, after you tried to smuggle him in town?" the first guard answered, while the second glared at her suspiciously. The tension was getting uncomfortably thick, both for Maria and Iaco, and for the other travelers... "And in such an inelegant way, I might add. What were you thinking, exactly?"
Maria and Iaco looked at each other as if asking each other for help. It was not going well at all… and now all the guards on the docks, and even several of the passengers who had traveled with them, were staring at them with hostility. Iaco raised a small clawed hand to avoid being pelted by a thrown peeble coming from some other passenger, and held back the urge to insult his attackers. After all, he told himself, those people did have a point in being prejudiced against his race ...
"Wait a minute! What's going on..." Dario asked as he stepped forward along with his new friends. The blond young man looked at Iaco, who kept an hostile expression - one of anger at the situation in which he and his travel companion had found themselves, along with resignation for what he could expect to find in the lands of humans.
"This, is what's happening." one of the guards answered, his attention now fully on Dario. "This kobold tried to sneak into Grisborgo, aided by this young lady we see here. Now we're going to arrest them and keep them in custody. Before tomorrow morning, they will confess what they were going to do in town!"
"Hold on a moment! On what charges are you arresting them?" Pandora exclaimed. The two accused turned to the blonde who was exposing herself in the first person for them ... they had not expected anyone to want to defend them, even at the cost of attracting the hostility of those present.
"Not to be impertinent, but my partner is right." Dario stated. "Do you have any proof that this young lady and this kobold really meant to do something wrong?"
"If you don't have any evidence, you can't arrest them. That would be abuse of power." Gunter continued. Nisa said nothing, but she did agree with her two friends and seemed ready to speak out if necessary.
Taken aback by their reaction, the guards hesitated for a moment to reply. "What... what kind of questions are these?" exclaimed the guard holding Iaco under the threat of his spear. "Can't you see that this is a kobold? What other proof do you need?"
"Well, I know for sure that there is no law that allows anyone to arrest people just because they are a kobold, a goblin, an orc... or whatever." it was Nisa's turn to intervene, and Gunter nodded slowly. "You must catch these people in the act of committing a crime, or have solid proof of that. Otherwise, you cannot arbitrarily arrest them."
"And what about them trying to hide the kobold's identity?" another guard answered.
He did have a point, Dario thought. And it was no small thing to try and fool a city guard. However...
"I don't think they were trying to do anything illegal." the blond young man ventured, looking for a way to convince the guards that Maria and Iaco were no danger. "I guess our guest was afraid of how he would be greeted."
"He's a kobold! How are we supposed to greet him?" exclaimed one of the guards, glaring at the little humanoid reptile, who replied with an indignated grunt. "His kind hates us - they are thieves, vandals and murderers!"
"Well, it's true, most kobolds aren't exactly the kind of people you'd like to hang out with..." Pandora admitted reluctantly. "But... maybe he isn't like that. Maybe he really is an exception to the rule and he just wants to hang around and not cause trouble."
"I think it would be only fair to give him a chance to prove he is in good faith." Dario went on. "If he and his companion were to travel with us... provided they're okay with it, of course... then we could keep an eye on them, just in case, and you wouldn't have to do anything... right?"
The guard wrinkled his nose, looking unconvinced. However, he had to admit that Dario was making a fair point. So, after thinking about it for a few moments, he motioned to his companions to let go of Maria and Iaco. "Okay, fine... you have convinced us for now." he stated. "But now these two are your responsibility. If anything happens, and these two are involved, you will be held accountable as well. And don't think you can weasel your way out of this, is that clear?"
"Of course. Transparent. " Nisa readily answered. The elven girl looked at Maria and Iaco, and winked in understanding; the black-haired girl, for her part, thanked them with a slight smile, even though she seemed not to be sure why they wanted to help them, . Nisa got the idea that Maria was not used to smiling, but she put the idea aside, at least for now.
"We will make sure nothing happens during our stay in Grisborgo. You can count on us for that." Gunter continued, then turned to Maria and Iaco. "You heard that, you two? From now on you are under our tutelage, and you are our responsibility, so… no getting strange ideas, okay? "
"Thanks for your help, dwarf." Iaco answered, still not entirely sure what to make of that quartet of people. The elf girl, the dwarf and the girl with the oddly-colored eyes seemed to be a rather tight-knit group, that much he could see... but what about the blond guy? There was something odd about him, something Iaco wanted to know more about. "But later you explain to Iaco why you helped!"
"Hey, now, don't get too bold!" Nisa quickly replied as the now six-people party was allowed to walk past the inspectors' desks, and began walking along the dark and silent streets of Grisborgo, leaving the river docks behind. "If you really want to know, we didn't really like how those guys treated you. Like you're a bad person just because you're not a human, an elf or a dwarf. Everyone deserves a chance, I say. If living beings have so many shapes and so much variety, there must be a reason."
"You already sound like a high druid, Nisa..." Pandora commented, rolling her eyes.
This piqued Maria and Iaco's interests, and they tried to start a conversation as the team walked into the city. "Oh? So you're a druid? And... what would a member of a druidic circle do, in a city like this?" asked the young woman. "Actually, now that I think of it, who are you? How did you get those guys to let you through so easily?"
"My companions and I come from Carnia. You know, the region known for its mountains and its deep forests." Gunter promptly answered. "Long story short, I am a ranger in the city we come from, Livizei. Nisa here, she is part of the druidic circle of the nearby elven village... and as for Pandora, she was born in Livizei, and we have known each other since she was a child. She joined us because she wants to help, and because she is looking for something of her own."
"A forest ranger? That's rather unusual for a dwarf... Still, makes sense why those guards trusted you." Dario commented. Gunter shrugged, as if to say it was no big deal.
"Recently, there have been many disappearences of animals from the woods of Livizei." Pandora continued their tale as she adjusted her ponytail that hung behind her neck. "Nisa and Gunter are worried... and for that matter, so are all my fellow villagers. We don't know what's going on exactly, and the elders of Nisa's village have had some really bad forebodings. Apparently, someone is capturing animals and selling them at an high price to disreputable people. At least, this is what we're assuming. "
"Hmm..." The blue kobold named Iaco scratched his chin, as he shivered a little in his drab clothes. "This is strange. Iaco have no idea know what it is. Why do people buy rare animals? What they do with them?"
"That's what my friends would like to find out. As for me... I'm here in Grisborgo because I'm looking for some clues about my past... but I'm more than willing to help out Gunter and the girls. Who knows, maybe I'll discover something in the meanwhile. " Dario continued, and then took a quick look at the alleys around them. Though the streets of Grisborgo were not mostly dark and silent, there were still some shadows slipping between the buildings, and Dario had lived on the ruthless streets of Auridanio too long to trust this apparent calm. At any moment, some knife-wielding thug could have jumped out of some dark alley...
"I understand..." Maria stated, looking around herself for any possible threat. "Well, looks like you've got your problems, much like we do. Since Iaco and I don't really have much to do right now except look for employment... how about we join you guys, even just temporarily?"
Iaco nodded and gave a witty smile. Despite the kobold's small size, Dario felt that he could be pretty intimidating, even without meaning to. "Iaco believes we can lend a hand." Iaco said in his high-pitched voice. "Maria strong, and Iaco knows magic. Dragon blood flows in kobolds!"
Dario held back a chuckle at the kobold's boast. It was a fairly common rumor that kobolds were in some way related to dragons, but it was such a far-fetched idea that hardly anyone took it seriously. That said, if that kobold was truly a wizard or sorcerer, he could be a valuable companion in adventure.
"I really don't mind. If Gunter and the girls agree, then welcome to the team." Dario said, taking a careful look at Maria and Iaco, just out of personal concern - once again, a sign of the paranoia that had allowed him and several of his friends to survive in Auridanio. At least, neither Maria nor Iaco seemed to have ulterior motives, even though he had a feeling that they were keeping some secrets close to their chests.
"Great idea! The more the merrier, as they say, right?" Pandora said with a bright smile. "So, you said that you can use magic, Iaco? That's pretty awesome! I'll have you know, I'm a pretty powerful witch myself..."
"Sssssh! Silly girl, you don't have to blurt it out like that!" Gunter retorted, a finger in front of his lips. Realizing her blunder, Pandora closed her mouth, put a hand behind her head and stuck her tongue out in embarassment, while Nisa just giggled to herself and Dario rubbed the back of his head. This was going to be the start of a very interesting fellowship, indeed...
"Good evening, travelers." a clear voice spoke, as a man walked out of a side street, holding a lit candle in his hand.
Immediately, the six of them turned their attention to him. He was rather tall and well built, with short dark blond hair and a large scar upon the bridge of his nose and his right cheekbone. He was dressed quite simply, in a dark green jacket and a pair of black trousers, and his attitude seemed to be easygoing enough, but Dario couldn't help but feel that there was something amiss about it. "What are you doing, walking around Grisborgo at a time like this? This is a pretty dangerous town to be in, I'll have you know... which is why you're lucky to have met me! For just a couple of florins, I can guide you to a reputable inn, where you can get all the rest and food you need. What do you say, gentlemen?"
Maria frowned at the newcomer in suspicion... then turned to her new companions and shook her head no. Dario could do nothing but approve of the dark-skinned young woman's wariness. That guy could very well be a robber looking for easy prey, and trying to lure them into an ambush.
"Thank you, sir, but we'll have to refuse." Pandora stated, having already read the mood. "You're right when you say that this is a dangerous place... so, I think we'll be much safer on our own!"
"Who's to say that you're not one of the thugs that prowl Grisborgo's streets? Don't take us for a bunch of fools, please." Dario concluded. "Good evening."
The newcomer was left speechless at this stark refusal, to the point he could do nothing as the newly former adventuring party walked away along the main road, looking for a place to rest at. Realizing it was pointless to persist, the man cursed to himself and headed back into his ally, finally reach a small square in the midst of a group of buildings.
"So, how did it go?" a voice asked, coming from a group of menacing-looking people.
"No dice. These folks weren't fooled. We'd better scram, this place is not a good hunting ground any more." the criminal replied, just before he and his accomplices disappeared into the darkened streets of Grisborgo...
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The weather had quickly worsened. Thick gray clouds now coverd the moon and stars, making the streets even more treacherous and disturbing. The party had been wandering around the main streets of Grisborgo for a long time, looking a place to stop for the night, but all the inns they had come across had either seemed too dangerous or had no vacancies left. Shivering from the cold wind, Pandora thought to herself that this wasn't exactly the most glamorous way to start her adventuring career.
"Guys, I don't know about you..." said the blonde girl. "But I say, we stop at the next watering hole, no matter what. It's about to rain, and I don't want to stay out a moment longer."
"You and me both, Pandora..." Gunter stated, looking with a mixture of horror and compassion at a pitiful scene taking place at a corner of a nearby street - two beggars fighting over a flea-ridden blanket. Even Dario had noticed the scene, which brought back far too many memories of his difficult childhood.
"Wait, before we go on ... there is one thing I would like to do." the blond young man said. He approached the two beggars as they were playing a sobering game of tug-of-war with the miserable rag. He put an hand in his pocket and took out some golden florins, then offered them to the two vagrants.
Immediately, they both forgot about the blanket, and eagerly threw themselves at the coins, with such enthusiasm that Dario was forced to hold them back and stare them down in order to force them to share fairly. Reluctantly, the two beggars agreed... but their spirits lifted as Nisa, Pandora, and the others approached, each of them offering them a couple golden coins.
"Here... a little help from us, too." Maria said. "And share equally, please."
"And good luck." Nisa continued, while Iaco winked in agreement and offered some of his money as well. The two beggars stared at the kobold in suspicion, but decided that in the end it didn't matter where the money came from, and they gladly accepted it, letting the small adventuring party walk away to their destination.
"If nothing else, those two will have an easier time for a while..." Maria stated. She shivered at the thought that she had come dangerously close to sharing those two people's grim fate, and had just been luckier to be able to reinvent herself. "Now, back to our original plan ... looking for a place to crash..."
"How about that? It doesn't seem such a bad place..." Dario answered, pointing to a slightly battered wooden sign swaying in the wind, upon which was etched the figure of a man sitting under a willow tree. Not being very good at reading, Dario had to squint to make out the words and concentrate on each and every letter. "Wait a moment... I think it says... er... The... Wand... Re... Rest..."
"The Wanderer's Rest." Nisa read out loud. Dario rubbed his head in slight embarassment and thanked the elven girl with a nod.
Maria walked to the front door, sharpening her ears in order to listen to any sound coming from the inside. She could see a dim light coming from a dirty window on the ground floor, and was relieved to see some human figures inside. "This place seems no worse than others." the young woman said, then leaned against the door and pushed it. To her annoyance, despite her best attempts, the door did not budge an inch ...
"Harder!" came a hoarse voice from inside the inn. Maria took a step away, and the voice continued. "The door! You have to push harder, or it won't open!"
The young woman blinked in surprise, and tried to take a running start to push the door open... but her diminutive traveling companion sighed and motioned her to stay where she was. Iaco stood in front of the door and made a quick gesture with his small clawed hands... then, he pointed his index finger at the lock, which shone for a second before the worn-out wooden door opened with a clicking sound!
"See?" Iaco stated, as Dario and Gunter both observed the scene with a mixture of amazement and approval. It was not the first spell they had seen being cast, basic as it was, but the confirmation that Iaco was indeed able to use magic was a point in favor of the little kobold. "Now, come in. It will start raining soon."
"Thanks, Iaco." Maria stated with some embarrassment as she led the team into a warm and well-lit room, where some customers were still sitting at their tables, drinking or playing dice. A thin old man with a few missing teeth and a wrinkled face stood next to the main desk, and greeted the six travelers with a grin, smoking a dark wooden pipe.
"Welcome to the Wanderer's Rest. You are new around here." the old man stated, as the party walked in under the suspicious eyes of the customers - most of which seemed to be affixed on Iaco. "Well, well... welcome to Grisborgo. Hope you'll enjoy your stay."
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TO BE CONTINUED...