Avandril Dol'wen knelt beside the unconscious body of his fallen companion. The raft continued to float down the stream. Hours had passed since the battle with the troll. The wounds delivered to Gottfried from the troll's vomit were beginning to fester. The wizard knew if action was not taken, the politician would not survive their journey out of the swamp.
"Do something, elf," grumbled Dimzad.
The bright wizard shot a bitter stare at the dwarf, and began to chant. He waved his hands in arcane gestures above Gottfried's body. Within a matter of seconds, the politician's melted flesh began to glow. The smell of burning skin ensued, as his wounds seared. Smoke filled the air around the raft. Avandril continued to chant until his ritual of cauterization was complete. Gottfried would be forever scarred, but the spell would destroy the infection caused by the troll.
After inspecting his work, the wizard nodded with approval. He slumped on to the raft and reopened his book.
"Look, the troll left you a present to remember him by," chuckled Felix. The mercenary reached out his hand and plucked a large, curved tooth out of Dimzad's shoulder.
The dwarf roared, and snatched the tooth from Felix's hand. He spat and hurled it into the water.
"Now, now there cutie. Don't go twisting your panties in a wad."
Dimzad drew his axe and eyed the mercenary.
Felix thought it best to not further tempt the dwarf. Without Gottfried to calm him down, there was no telling what would unfold.
Another day passed by. Two of the three adventurers were eager to set foot out of the wretched place, for Dimzad simply didn't care. A light began to fill the sky, signaling the dawn of their fourth morning in the marsh. Felix stood to his feet. He stared down the length of the stream.
"A cloud approaches from the south," said the mercenary.
The companions glanced in the direction Felix was pointing. They saw what appeared to be a wispy, black cloud. It grew larger as seconds went by. Dimzad and Felix readied their weapons. Once the cloud reached the raft it exploded into a screeching ball of dark feathers. Several dozen hideously mutated ravens began clawing and pecking at the companions. The birds had all manner of chaos decorating their bodies. Some sprouted disgusting tentacles from beneath their ruffles. Others had rotting human-like digits in place of claw, beak, or wing.
Dimzad began swinging his axe, as Felix grabbed the neck of Gottfried with his offhand. The mercenary drug the politician into the water and held him there as he defended himself with his cudgel. Avandril fell to the floor of the raft and removed a dagger from beneath his robes.
The companions desperately hacked at the cloud of birds. Many began to drop from the sky. Within a couple of minutes, the surviving ravens flew for the trees. Only one remained behind, perched on the shoulder of Avandril. It grabbed a hold of the wizard's ear with its jagged and elongated beak. A sickening ripping sound could be heard as the mutant creature tore the spell-caster's pointy ear in half from the top. It flew off into the darkness with its meal.
Avandril let out a welp, and clutched the torn remnants of his ear. His tattered red robes were darkened as blood from the wounds beneath leaked into the cloth.
Dimzad and Felix did not go unscathed either. Slashes and tears covered their skin on whatever parts of their bodies were not protected by armor.
"By Sigmar's hairy balls, could this journey get any worse?" asked Felix, as he hoisted the body of Gottfried Gustav out of the murky waters.
As if an answer from the heavens, darkness consumed the sky above. Drops of rain began to fall. Eventually the sprinkle became a downpour.
"I see," said the mercenary.