The next morning, while the sun was still rising, the adventurers reunited at the pond by Mantor's Library one at a time. Arannis tried his best to be the first to arrive at the pond, and for a few seconds, was disappointed to find that Camilla had beaten him to the meeting. The two kept silent while waiting, and while Camilla had been the first one to arrive, Arannis soon realized that it didn't matter. The other adventurers wouldn't ask who the first to arrive was and it would have been awkward for her to bring it up. At the very least, he felt that he was keeping up with her which he saw as a good sign during the journey.
Hana and Nordak were the next to arrive, and soon after, they were joined by Nalos. It was only a matter of waiting for Pallas to arrive, and until then, Arannis was left to his thoughts. He glanced in Camilla's direction briefly before turning his gaze back down to the ground, his eyes harmed by the sun even with his brimmed hat on. When Pallas arrived, Arannis would have to tell the group that the only lead he had was that a man who could be Spernik was reported to the Black Fist traveling north. It wasn't much, and if Camilla had a stronger lead, he feared that the others would start to look up to her as the leader instead of him.
Arannis pushed those thoughts aside, realizing how silly he was thinking about who was the leader of the group when the Cult of the Dragon was plotting something. This had been the third plot they discovered relating to the cult's activities in the Moonsea and Spernik had a head start on the group. It was very likely that Spernik was looking for the circle of stones in the Dragonspine Mountains for some nefarious purpose. Arannis needed to focus on trying to stop the Cult of the Dragon more than his foolish feud with Camilla over who should lead.
Still, a quiet voice in the back of his mind reminded Arannis that if he could capture Spernik, it would be a way to secure his position as leader of the adventurers.
"There's Pallas!" Nalos called out and pointed down one of the streets.
"About time," Hana said. "Pallas, what took you so long?!"
"Uh, I lost track of time," Pallas groaned and held his hand as he walked up to the group.
"You were out drinking, weren't you?"" Hana sighed.
"Maybe I was," Pallas admitted and shook his head. "There's a good chance of that happening anytime I go to a tavern. If only someone was able to keep me in line."
"Camilla," Hana turned to the paladin with a frown. "You needed to keep an eye on Pallas."
"I did!" Camilla gasped. "I made sure he stayed away from any ale until after we left!"
"She left me alone at the tavern," Pallas added.
"That was a mistake," Nordak said with a shrug. "Nothing to be done about it now though."
"Pallas is a grown man," Camilla pointed out. "I can't be responsible for him every minute."
"You did say you looked after him though," Nalos reminded Camilla.
"Next time we split up, I'll go with Pallas," Arannis said and crossed his arms. "Let's discuss what we discovered. Unfortunately, the only lead Hana and I were able to find was that a man who matched Spernik's description was reported to the Black Fist traveling north."
"North is a broad direction," Camilla said with a frown. "Are you sure Tibeem wasn't able to narrow down where Spernik could have gone."
"Tibeem had been executed before our arrival," Hana said and shook her head.
"Such a shame," Camilla smirked. "I would have thought that your connections with the Black Fist would have given us more to work with, Arannis. Meanwhile, Pallas and I were able to discover that Spernik and Tibeem may have been associated with a third man."
"Who?" Nordak asked.
"We, uh, never found out," Pallas answered with a chuckle. "For all we know, he may not be involved with these thefts."
"That doesn't sound like a solid lead," Arannis said and looked up, bracing himself against the light so that he could look at Camilla.
"Don't suggest that I've failed when you hardly did any better," Camilla shot back with a glare. "We need something more specific than north."
"If you would both cease your bickering, I have the 'more specific' to share," Nordak told the group as everyone turned to face the dwarf. "Nalos and I found Spernik's journal, which he left at the grocer. Most of the pages had been torn out and there was hardly anything useful in it but there was a map that Spernik drew at the end of the pages that remained."
"Based on the map, we were able to determine that Spernik may have traveled to a certain part of the Dragonspine Mountains," Nalos joined in the explanation with a smile. "The good news is that it's in the foothills so there won't be any serious climbing but the bad news is that it's a two day's journey from Phlan on foot."
"So if Spernik did travel there, he's already arrived at his destination," Hana commented. "That was a good find. That's something we can work with."
Arannis and Camilla both bowed their heads in disappointment. Arannis couldn't be sure what was going through Camilla's mind, but for him, he was glad that Nordak and Nalos were able to find out where Spernik went. Nordak was always reliable, and as impressionable as Nalos was, he had good instincts. Arannis wasn't disappointed at his companions but rather at himself. It hadn't been his intention to let his feud with Camilla come out like that and he worried how the rest of the trip would go. He couldn't let this conflict interfere with future adventures and needed to find a way to resolve his feelings on the matter of leadership before it was too late.
Arannis was the first to look up from the ground, even with the sun harming his eyes. "It's important that we make it to the foothills as soon as possible if Spernik is already there. We can't let the trail grow cold."
"There isn't much we can do to get there faster," Nordak said and frowned.
"We could obtain horses," Camilla suggested as she looked up from the ground. "That'll certainly make up the difference."
"That wouldn't work," Nalos shook his head. "The terrain to the foothills is rough, and even if it wasn't, our horses would grow tired if we push them to their limits."
"I wasn't aware that you were an expert on such matters," Camilla remarked in a polite tone.
"The kid's a druid," Pallas said, grinning. "He knows this kind of stuff."
"I don't agree much with Pallas, but in this case, I trust Nalos' judgment," Hana said with a nod. "If he says that horses won't help us, then we shouldn't waste our time trying to get them."
"Didn't we already have horses?" Nalos asked. "That was back when we were dealing with the ghost ship that was attacking the Moonsea."
"Those horses were loaned to us," Hana reminded Nalos.
"And we left them behind on the island," Nordak grunted. "The money for the stables came out of my pay from work at the chapel…"
"Oh," Nalos nodded. "That's right. I guess I must have forgotten."
"Try to do that less often," Pallas patted Nalos on the back encouragingly. "People already have enough time thinking you're a druid."
"What are we doing?" Camilla threw her hands up. "We're wasting time on pointless banter!"
"This is our process, Camilla," Pallas shrugged. "Eventually, we'll come up with a better idea than walking."
"Or we start walking now while there's daylight," Arannis said and took the first steps away from the pond. "Let's go."
Camilla quickly fell in line next to Arannis as the others followed behind them. Arannis may have been the one to take the first steps but it was Camilla who pointed out they needed to start their journey. Arannis had become accustomed to the conversations he had with his friends and hadn't considered if they slowed down their efforts. Arannis wasn't sure what waited for the group at the Dragonspine Mountains but they were going to deal with whatever came their way. He was determined to secure Spernik and the stolen books as a way to remind his companions of his reliability.
The adventurers left Phlan and traveled on the Stojanow Trail to head north of the town. Arannis kept his gaze directed to the ground most of the time due to the sun, but from the few brief glances he endured, he could see the outline of Dragonspine Mountains in the distance. Farms and ranches were built on the side of the trail and Arannis thought back on the Moss family, who lived in this part of the region. He hoped that they were doing well enough after he saved them from their abduction. It would have been nice to follow up on them, but for now, he had to remain focused on the task at hand.
Arannis and Camilla led the way, and while he could hear his other companions' conversation behind him, he pushed on silently. Talking with his friends would have been a good way to make a long day go by faster, but if he fell back to join in the conversation, he would let Camilla lead the way to the Dragonspine Mountains. Being in the front of the formation wasn't too big of a deal but it could be seen as a physical sign on who was in charge of the group. At the very least, Arannis recognized that Camilla was a strong warrior. If bandits or some monster attacked them, Arannis was confident that he and Camilla could fight them off to keep the others safe.
The day went by in a blur without any problems threatening the safety of the group. Nalos scouted ahead as the sun started to set, and after a short search, the druid was able to find a nice clearing where the adventurers could see any approaching threats. Hana was able to start a campfire with her magic after the others gathered up enough wood with ease and the group sat down to eat the bread and jerky from their trail rations. When it came time to decide on a watch, Arannis took the first watch with Nalos taking the second watch and Nordak the final watch. While Camilla had volunteered for one of the watches, Hana was quick to point out that since night was approaching, it was best to leave the job of lookout to those who can see best in the dark. Camilla saw the reason in Hana's explanation and didn't raise any further objections as she made her bedroll on the ground with the other adventurers.
The night went by quietly for Arannis' watch. He could hear the cries of animals from a distance but the campfire kept any predators away. After a few hours had gone by, he woke up Nalos for his shift and rested on his bedroll. The morning sunlight was blinding to him, but as he reached for his hat to shield his face, Arannis decided it was best for the sun to wake him up than any kind of danger. The group spent a few minutes packing up their camp before continuing on with the rest of their journey toward the Dragonspine Mountain.
After a few hours of traveling, the ground started to turn rugged as the adventurers stepped off the path they followed to travel toward the Dragonspine Mountain. There wasn't much climbing but the land was tough for the group to travel across. Fortunately, Arannis knew that his companions were in excellent shape and they were able to keep up their pace despite the difficult terrain. It helped when Nalos led the way, relying on his druidic training to fight short paths that were stable as well as avoiding any predators in the area. Despite coming from the sea, Nalos was familiar enough with the land that he could guide the way for the rest of the group efficiently.
The sun was starting to see when, after climbing uphill for the past two hours, the adventurers could see a large clearing in the distance. Arannis squinted his eyes and could make out a circle of standing stones in the clearing. He sighed in relief, glad that Nalos was able to find their destination. Sputnik, or at least some trace of him, was in the area. However, as he and his companions grew closer to the clearing, he could make out movement behind one of the rocks. Arannis quickly grabbed Nalos by the back of his shoulder to stop him from continuing forward as the group halted.
"There's someone waiting for us ahead," Arannis said, his voice quiet.
"I thought I saw movement as well," Camilla nodded in agreement. "There wasn't much cover with the path we took. I imagine that whoever's there must think that they can ambush us."
"Could it be Spernik?" Nalos asked.
"I don't think so," Arannis shook his head. "He's the kind of man who would have ran if he saw us coming."
"It could be his accomplice," Pallas pointed out with a frown.
"Maybe," Arannis said. "Pallas, go back the path we came from and try to circle around to another part of the clearing. Let's see if we can turn this ambush against us."
"You got it, Boss," Pallas raised a thumb up in confirmation.
"Boss?" Arannis blinked in confusion.
"Nordak, Hana, you'll stay behind Arannis, Nalos, and I," Camilla spoke up, giving the rest of the group orders. "When Pallas makes his move, we'll charge in while you two cover us from afar."
A silence fell over the group as Pallas snuck off, working to find a way to get the jump on whoever was in the clearing. Arannis turned away from Camilla and frowned as he took out his swords, one in each hand. If Pallas hadn't surprised him, he was going to tell the others the exact plan Camilla came up with. Once again, Arannis questioned if he was the leader of the group when Camilla was ready to take the initiative for him. Nalos took out his scimitar and shield, Camilla took out her maul, and Nordak his crossbow. With Hana relying on her magic, it was just a matter of waiting for Pallas to make his move.
When Arannis spotted Pallas dash out from some trees behind the clearing, he charged toward the clearing along with Camilla and Nalos. Pallas rolled behind one of the stones and Arannis heard a pained and unfamiliar cry from whoever the monk attacked. Several kobolds emerged from behind their cover of the standing stones, holding slings to throw large rocks at the adventurers. Arannis, seeing the kobolds, knew for sure that Spernik was still in the area. The kobolds were pawns of the Cult of the Dragon and needed someone of authority, such as a cultist, to command them.
Two of the kobolds took to the air and Arannis gasped when he noticed that they had scaly wings. He hadn't heard of flying kobolds before, but thankfully, Nordak and Hana were ready for them. A crossbow bolt struck one of the flying kobolds through his chest, ending his life, while the other flying kobold screeched when a bolt of fire burned across his cheek. The remaining winged kobold went after the backline, leaving Arannis, Camilla, and Nalos to deal with the remaining kobolds. There were six altogether and they threw their stones at the charging warriors. Nalos gasped out in pain when one rock struck him across the shoulder while Arannis and Camilla endured the attacks with their heavy armor keeping them safe.
Arannis cut down one of the gnolls with a swing of his shortsword while Camilla crushed another with her maul. Nalos, despite his injury, charged forward and slashed through a kobold's throat with his blade, and the other kobolds started to retreat. Unfortunately for them, Pallas was still behind them and was quick to intercept them, kicking a kobold into one of the standing stones while bashing his drinking horn against the skull of another to end his life. The remaining kobold continued to run for the center of the standing stones, throwing one last stone with his sling. Camilla grunted when the stone cut across her cheek, but before she could chase after her foe, Hana struck the kobold down with a fire bolt. Arannis glanced up at the flying kobold in time to see Nordak fire another crossbow bolt through its chest and his gaze followed the kobold's fall.
Curious as to what the kobolds were following, Arannis looked to see where the kobolds tried to run to. He was surprised to find that in the ground, in the center of the standing stones, were stone steps that led down into the earth. The stairs were stained with dirt and there were clumps of rock by where they were, showing that it had recently been dug out. There was more to the area than the standing stones, and whatever was in the area, the Cult of the Dragon must have thought it could help their plans. Arannis thought if it could be one of the Dragon Masks but shook his head. If it was, the Cult of the Dragon would have sent everything they had to secure it instead of Spernik and some kobolds.
"Spernik must be down below," Arannis said and turned back to his friends.
"Pallas, light a torch," Camilla told the monk in a commanding tone. "It'll likely be dark."
"For you, maybe," Pallas shrugged. "The rest of us can see just fine in the dark. It's almost as if you're holding us back."
Hana slipped on her new magical goggles over her eyes but conjured a light through her staff. "No need to be rude, Pallas. We'll need Camilla's help in case of violence."
"Hana's right," Camilla said, glaring at Pallas. "Now, shall we proceed?"
"We should," Arannis nodded. "Nalos, take the lead."
"You've got it, Arannis," Nalos said and stepped toward the stairs, scimitar and shield in hand.
Arannis and Camilla glanced at each other as Nalos stepped down the stairs. With a shrug, he gestured for the paladin to head down. Camilla nodded quietly and headed down the steps after Nalos with Arannis following behind her. Nordak, Hana, and Pallas followed behind them, on guard as they descended wherever the steps may lead. Spernik was close, and once they apprehended him, they could figure out what interest the Cult of the Dragon has with the standing stones.
A/N: Took me a while to get an update here with how busy my schedule's been but here's the next chapter. Again, this story won't take too long so it'll be done soon enough.
I would also like to thank Sunday0716 and for following and favoriting this story. Your support means a lot to me and I encourage my other readers to follow or favorite the story and leave a review if you feel like it.
Until next time.