10 - On the Road
Kythorn 3rd, in the wilderness, afternoon…
The walk outside of Caston was nice. Farms lined both sides of the road and pastoral windmills turned slowly with the breeze, the sun beaming down on them as clouds rolled across the sky. Eventually they came upon a fork in the road with a signpost pointing south, east, and west. It read:
South - Elràise - 40 miles
West - Laketon - 25 miles
East - Caston 2 miles
They continued on the road west for a couple more miles before it was evening and they were starting to feel the pains of hunger. They settled in for the night just off the road in a clearing. Shalia and Nimreth gathered firewood while Hawke and the others prepared a campsite. Once the wood was piled with stones around it Nevon sparked a flame that quickly engulfed the logs, providing both warmth and light for them.
They had a simple dinner of a shared loaf of bread, some nuts they had found while gathering wood, and a dried pork belly that Lathander sliced into perfect strips for holding over the fire to get nice and crispy.
While they sat and ate, Hawke started with a question "So Wilmer, you rode into town on a horse huh. It sounded pretty fancy, what is your background?"
Lathander paused mid chew and swallowed awkwardly. Should they tell them the truth now and get it over with, or keep up their appearances and mask their identity? They had come to like this group of adventurers, and felt like they could possibly trust them. But then worry filled their heart and they decided to go with the safety of a lie.
"As a paladin, I was charged with the fastest mare at the abbey to travel to Caston and investigate this letter." they said, hoping the others would buy it.
Hawke nodded but Griffin squinted at the boy and asked "What crest do you bear on your shield, it is not one of any paladin organization I've known."
Shit Lathander thought to themself, unsure now of where to turn, suddenly a stroke of brilliance hit "It belonged to the man who trained me, he came from a noble background and gifted it to me when he passed." whew, that might keep them off their his back for a while they thought.
Griffin seemed to approve of the response as there were no follow up questions directed at Lathander, instead Shalia started to probe Griffin.
"Hey Reverend, where did you and Nevon meet?"
The Reverend's face grew grim and dark, he didn't speak but mumbled quietly to himself for a moment before getting up and stepping out of the light of the fire.
Nevon looked back at Griffin, worried, but turned back to Shalia and said "He doesn't like thinking of the war, we met during a skirmish on the beachhead of his old country. I was shipwrecked on the beach and surrounded by Muckmen when I awoke. The Reverend and his unit came to my aid and he has taken me under his wing ever since."
"Got it, I will try not to ask anymore questions about it, sorry about that." Shalia responded, awkwardly scratching behind her ear "What happened that got you shipwrecked?"
"I had booked passage on a ship to travel to Moradin as I heard there had been a war going on there from another of my kin and wanted to help. Unfortunately a bad storm destroyed my ship and I was able to swim away to safety but passed out on the shore from exhaustion. When I woke, well, you know the rest" Nevon finished, taking another bite of his apple.
"Interesting, where did you learn to cast magic like you do?" Hawke asked curiously.
It was Nevon's turn to go quiet. He looked down at the fire and said "I just made some bad deals." and wouldn't speak again.
After they had eaten they agreed to a watch duty and went to bed for the night. The first night of their journey passed without event.
Kythorn 4th, wilderness, morning…
Nimreth woke up to the smell of something good cooking. She sat up and said "ayyy what's that delicious smell guys" before getting a glimpse of Shalia frying up some eggs. But where had they gotten eggs from?
Apparently Hawke found some bird eggs while on watch during the night and suggested they try them. So far nobody had been brave enough to eat the unknown unborn bird embryo. That is no-one except Hawke who tried to pass it off as delicious but the others could see him struggling with the chunky green yolk.
Nimreth didn't care, food was food, and eggs were good food, so she threw one back yolk and all and gave a satisfied belch to announce her pleasure before saying "Damn that was bussin'." Hawke beamed with pride that somebody had enjoyed his find. It wasn't long before they packed up and were on the road again.
Kythorn 4th wilderness, midday…
The morning stretch went by rather uneventfully. They walked mostly in silence, with some idle conversation about the scenery here and there. Shalia kept her eye on the horizon, scanning the forest to ensure there were no threats lurking within. As she scanned she noticed a door standing in a small clearing. She pointed it out to the group and they went to investigate.
The door seemed to be of oak, similar to the wood around it. It stood with nothing to keep it balanced, almost magically suspended.
"Why is there a door standing here?" Hawke asked no one in particular.
"I have a bad feeling about this, nobody touch it!" Shalia said, spreading her arms to keep her companions away from it.
Griffin however was on the other side of the door, he was mesmerised with it and reached out a hand to the knob. With a twist, it swung open. Without a moment's hesitation, he stepped inside and was gone.
Kythorn 4th, Beyond the Door…
Inside the world looked just as it had done before stepping inside, but now everything looked a blueish hue, as if the world had been covered in water. He felt different, not really Griffin but not really not Griffin either. A state between corporeal and incorporeal. The door was still in front of him. He reached a hand out to touch it. It swung open and again he went right in.
This time when he came through the door everything had turned a deep red, as if a volcano had just erupted. Also rather startlingly everything was upside down. The door remained, Griffin pressed on determined to see an end to this.
The chill hit Griffin before he crossed the threshold. This world was entirely ice, bitter winds blasted him with ice pellets and the cold seeped through to his bones within seconds. Before he froze to death he reached forward again and fell through the door.
Landing in a field of reeds Griffin stood up. This land was idyllic, beautiful, serene. If he could, he would have spent the rest of his days here in harmony. However he knew this had to come to an end eventually so he pressed on.
Nothing. Emptiness. Darkness everlastingly. The door, he had to find the door. Reaching around in the black void he eventually felt the familiar feeling of the door's knob. He twisted it and went through one last time.
Kythorn 4th, wilderness, midday…
"Where the fuck did he go?!"
"Griffin? GRIFFIN?"
"Hey Reverend? Where are you buddy?"
The party frantically searched around the area of the door for their missing comrade. Suddenly, the door swung open, and out of seemingly nothing fell the Reverend. He looked as if he had just lost a fight with an ice golem.
The party rushed to his aid, Nevon falling to his knees and grabbing the rough looking dwarf. "Griffin! Griffin, are you okay?"
He opened his eyes weakly and said "ay lad, maybe I shouldn't have touched the door."
After giving him a few moments to recoup they were able to set off again on their way to Laketon.
Kythorn 4th, evening, on the outskirts of Laketon…
They could see the town of Laketon a few miles away from the hillside they made camp on. The small seaside town glowed in the distance, the smell of sea air wafting its way up the hillside to them. They sat around the glow of the fire and ate a soup that Hawke had prepared.
"This is my world famous vegetable, fruit, nuts, and pork stew you guys" He announced while pouring the first bowl and handing it out.
"I'm your friend and I've never heard of it," Shalia said jokingly as she took her bowl.
"Well it's a new recipe, still has to make the rounds," Hawke witted back sharply.
"Man, whatever you put in this Hawke, it's great!" Nimreth said, gobbling back large mouthfuls of soup. The girl sure had an appetite.
"Aye, this soup is excellent lad, you'll have to write the recipe down" Griffin added between spoonfuls.
"Where did you learn to cook like this Hawke?" Nevon asked in earnest.
"Well life in caravans out in the Wastes you learn to make do before you learn to get by. And when I joined up with the Dunes I started with the kitchen staff and worked my way up the ranks from there." Hawke replied, eating from his own bowl, and the last to be served.
"The Dunes," Nevon said quizzically "what's that?"
A dark expression passed over Hawke's face, for the first time the pluckish jovial rogue became quite serious. "The Scarlet Dunes were my life and my family. Not by choice, but I wouldn't have it any other way either. They've been there for me through thick and thin, and I know my brothers and sisters are waiting for me to return someday to take up the mantle of Amaranth Seer." He was suddenly filled with a flush of nobility, his posture enlarged, his chest puffed out and shoulders rolled back. He seemed very powerful then all of a sudden, deflated back to the impish rogue they knew him as.
"Huh, okay." Nevon said, dunking some bread into his soup and slurping up the juices. After that they went to bed for the night with Shalia and Lathander taking watch. In the morning, they would reach Laketon.