Adventure Tales - To Slay a Dragon Part 4 (revised)

The light highlights a simple cave passage way that weaves through the mountain. There are gaps and foot falls but that is to be expected in a cave. What is not to be expected however is the sheer amount of scorpions that have gathered around our un heroic travelers. The walls are lined with so many that they can not be seen. One of the scorpions stretches out its body and blows the light out.

Then the screaming begins...

"Who in their bleedin right mind would put the Deadly Cave of Scorpians as a landmark on their map?" Rioko complains as she brushes an offending scorpian off her tail. Two land marks had been taken care of since their fight on the cliff side about a day ago. Since then it had been one constant rush from one land mark to the other, trying to out pace the villains that were ever one step behind their heels.

"People who really didn't want their treasure to be found." Dale grumbles as he shakes off a scorpion from his boot. Bugs, why did it have to be bugs. Ahead of them lays a tall mountain. A old gravel pathway leads up from a village at the base of the mountain up to the top. The village is not too far away from the caves they have just exited. "Hey guys! I think we are almost there!" Sibyl shouts exitedly. Hopping up and down as she points to the village. "The village is only one stop away from the treasure's location!"

The only one not speaking now in the group is Derean, who evenly keeps pace with the others despite his gruesome injury. Derrin had done his best for the otter, wrapping one strip of cloth around his head to cover his left eye, which had been completely cut through, causing significant damage, and wrapping another around his face, covering his muzzle and most of his face fur. Most of the cloth is bloody, but the otter hadn't said a word since the cliff. Rorgan hadn't been hurt too badly, and he had declined to have any bandage over the cut in his shoulder, which led to a scratch in the armor on his back, caused by Zee's falling blade. Toran and Derrin had luckily escaped unscathed, but they made sure to stay close to Derean, though the otter didn't necessarily need help.

There was a sigh of relief from the two fox mercinaries at the lizard's words. Dale wasn't in such good shape either. The fox was only saved by his tramatic fall from the cliff by hitting every rock face on the way down. The fact he could still move at all was atributed to nothing else but a mirical. "Finally, a village, we could all use some rest." He begins to hobble down the road towards the village. Rioko nods as well, "I could use some food and drink...and a good bath."

( Sibyl peers down the road a ways, the village looks small, wooden huts with a few two story buildings. Shouldn't be more than a half hour's walk at this pace. One can only wonder how far behind the other group is, or if they found another way around the caves.

Unfortunately, the group hadn't exactly found their way around the caves, seeing as how they had no real way to know where to go. Radion was in a slightly bad mood after loosing Zee to the crows, but now they stood at the entrance of the cave, with Furis and Radion at the front staring into the darkness. "Well..are we sure there's no way around?" Asks Radion. Furis nods reluctantly. "Unfortunately, yes."

Bushtail grumbles slightly. Looking at a sign post reading, "Abandon all hope ye who enter." she sighs and whines aloud, "Really? Aw man..." She turns to Zee, waiting for a simular snarky comment before remembering that he is digesting in the bellies of three different baby birds. Well, on the bright side at least /she/ didn't end up as crow chow. She could only imagine what sort of meal the pudgy marten would make...

Meanwhile on the other side of the mountain the the merc fox's and lizard begin moving towards the village. The road to civilization is poorly paved but runs through a small valley with tall trees and a small river. The air is cool and leaves them feeling refreshed. "So...derean is it?" Rioko the fox asks as she walks, "Sorry to hear about your, um, eye. Are you going to be ok?"

The injured and mute otter only looks over at Rioko with his good eye, and the look in that eye is one to be very afraid of. His eye burns with a fire that can almost literally be seen, but it isn't directed at Rioko. Slowly, Derean nods in response to the question before looking back to the road ahead.

Rioko's tail poofs out wide. With a shiver she turns quickly away, adding more energy to her gait as she walks, "Yeah...you'll be fine. Just, peachy." The village grows closer, and closer while the cave for the beasts behind them grows darker and darker. "Hey!" Says bushtail as she enters the cave, "Can someone pass me a light? I can't see a thing in here!"

Meanwhile as the village draws near it is plain to see that it is a hare village. Several hares mill about from houses and shops and the farm land surrounding the village. The crops look plump and succulant, ready for harvest. Several hares notice the crew walking towards them and wave, even to the foxes and the lizard.

Through the darkness, the sound of flint and steel can be heard, then a lit torch is passed to Bushtail. Meanwhile, stunned by the friendliness of the hares, Rorgan, Toran and Derrin all wave back, though Derean simply continues walking, left to brood with his own darker thoughts.

The light highlights a simple cave passage way that weaves through the mountain. There are gaps and foot falls but that is to be expected in a cave. What is not to be expected however is the sheer ammount of scorpions that have gathered around our un heroic travelers. The walls are lined with so many that they can not be seen. One of the scorpions stretches out its body and blows the light out.

Then the screaming begins...

The village is small. A dirt road forks to the left and to the right through the village. The path to the left leading off to the farmlands, to the right, the mountain. There is a stone stage set in the center of town, large enough to hold a small band or prehaps something for a beast to speak to a crowd. The houses are small but made from fine wood with many decorations. The hares here in the market place of the town square greet the travelers warmly. A particularly plump hare, who's brown fur has grayed around the muzzle steps lightly out of the tavern to their right. Catching sight of the beasts he smiles warmly, adjusting his top hat he goes to greet them, "Welcome! Welcome Travelers to the town of Dragon Fang. Passing through or staying for a while?"

Rorgan, Toran, Derrin and Derean all cast glances between each other, caught off guard by the friendly hare. Toran, surprisingly, is the first to step forward and lower the hood of his cloak, smiling at the hare. "Thank you for the warm welcome, friend, but we are simply passing through." As he is speaking, a thought seems to occur to him. "Say...do you perhaps have skilled healers?" He gestures to Derean, who continues to stand there silently, seeming to glare at everything his eye catches sight of. "Our friend was, ah...injured on our journey, and we've done our best, but none of us are healers."

The hare gasps as if he sees for the first time the rough and tumble state of the party. "What happened to you lot? You look like you came from a battlefield?" He points to a building right next to the inn called The Weary Traveler. "The healers house is right there ahead of you. If you need to stay the night please, talk with the innkeeper. He is a nice fellow and is sure to give a deal to weary travelers!"

Again, the three woodlanders and white fox all look between themselves, and then back at the hare. "Well, could one of you perhaps take him to the healer while we talk to the innkeeper then?" Asks Toran tentatively, wanting to make sure that the group stays together as much as possible. "He's lost a lot of blood, and we're not sure what else we can do."

The brown furred vixen Rioko chuckles, "I'll take care of it." She turns to Dale, "Dale, you should come too. You're looking in rough shape after that fall." The bounty hunter just shakes his head, "I'm fine! I never needed to see no healer and never will!" He begins to argue until Rioko grabs him by the ear, leading him off to the healer, "H-hey! Le'go! Ow ow ow! Come on! What if he uses...NEEDLES! No! Rio! Ow ow ow." Rioko nods to Derean to follow.

THe lizard in their group just shakes her head. The pudgy scaley guide starts to make her way to the inn. "Well come on folks. I for one am not going to pass off a free stay at the-" In the distance there is a rumbling in the hills. It starts off slow, like a roaring lion across the savana and echoes for some time like distant thunder. "What. Was....THAT." Sibyl eeps. The mayor nervously gulps and begins to shuffle the party towards the inn, "Nothing important, just some...wind! Yes, nothing scary or deadly about wind! Now move along!" The other hares in the village begin to clear off the streets.

The half-blind otter simply decides to walk off after Dale and Rioko, staying a little bit behind. Rorgan, Derrin and Toran all look up and the distant rumbling, and Toran's ears flatten against his head, and all three begin to growl softly, though none of them know why. Reluctantly, they do end up following the mayor and Sibyl, though they keep on their guard.

The hare shuffles them all inside quickly, nervously looking out side as if watching for something in the sky before heading in himself. The inn is amazingly well kept. It's floor is made of wood not dirt, its walls are lined with pictures of hares across the redwood finishings. A large fire place is set up in the corner where several non hare travelers have gathered.

Making his way to the front desk the mayor takes off his top hat, replacing it with a small cap. Resting his paws against the inn counter the hare smiles broadly, "So...what can I do for you folks?" Sibyl raises an eyebrow, "You're the mayor, and the inn keeper?"

"And the judge!" The hare says happily. "It's a small town." Clapping his paws he announces again, "If you lot are hungry you are in luck. There is a festival going on in town. Farmers are selling their surplus for free at the market and all the meals here are very cheap."

Rorgan is actually rather taken aback by this news. Free food? In a town this small? In all his traveling, never had he seen something like this before, but he wasn't about to complain or reject this amazing generosity. "Can I ask wot the festival's about?" Asks Derrin curiously, echoing Toran and Rorgan's own thoughts. Toran also pipes up again, which is unusual for his normally shy nature. "Also, all we need is a place to rest for a bit before we head off. We're looking for..uh...a treasure of sorts.." He falls silent, tapping his two index claws together in sudden nervousness.

The hare spreads his arms out wide, "It's a week long festival so take your time. Dancing, food, games, more food! And that's in hare portions by the way." He says with a grin. "I've got a couple of rooms on the second floor, both with two beds, enough to house all your friends."

( Sibyl feels her stomach growl and quiets it with her clawed paw. "I could use something besides rations to be honest." THe hare nods, gesturing to the lobby area, "By all means! Feel free to make you're selves at home!" As the hare turns away he pauses to add, "Oh! And it's the Festival of the Dragon. You should stay in town for a while...it's an event you won't soon forget." The mayor Inn keeper chuckles darkly as he walks away.

Rorgan, Derrin and Toran all stare after the hare after that last comment, and Derrin and Rorgan look to each other, an entire conversation seeming to pass just in that one look. Toran shakes his head, turning and beginning to walk off towards where he assumed the rooms would be located. "Derrin, Rorgan, Derean and I will take one room," says the fox. "Sibyl, Dale, Rioko and Drakki will take the other." He suddenly stops, turning to look at the group. "Does that work for everyone?"

The lizard chuckles, "Yeah I suppose that is fine. Me and Rioko can share a room. Dale is probably going to be sleeping in the infirm anyway." The scaly guide watches as the hare returns with a set of keys, "Ok, here you go...I'll let you sort out among yourselves who gets what. You have rooms 1, 2 just down the hall, 5 and 6 are up the stairs. I'll have some dinner brought out to your rooms, some fish and rice." Sibyl doesn't pay attention to any of the conversation as she watches a hare pushing a trolley past them. The trolley is laden with pies, cakes, and...Sibyl sniffs, cooked fish? Best inn EVER! She keeps watching as the trolley moves down to room 3. The hare pauses to pull a key from her pocket, unlocks the door, and moves in.

Toran manages to get one of the keys as Sibyl watches the hare, at which point he and Derrin begin to walk off towards room number one. Rorgan, however, seems to be troubled by something, though he is having difficulty choosing whether or not he should actually voice it. Finally, he looks at the hare, feeling somewhat uncertain. "Sir..if I may, why do you call it the festival of the dragon?" He asks. It wouldn't normally seem like a big thing to wonder about, but something hadn't seemed right, especially combined with the rumbling they had heard only a short bit beforehand. )

The various hares working in the room pause and cast their eyes towards the otter then quickly avert their gaze, trying hard not to look like they were staring. "Oh...well," The mayor begins to visibly sweat. "Tradition!" He says quickly, "Up in the mountains there is a cave that looks like the mouth of a snarling dragon. That's uh, where we get our name! Hence we celebrate our cities founding day as the Dragon Festival!"

Sibyl's eyes widen at the description of the land mark. She whispers to Rogan, "That's it! That's the last stop on the map! The treasure is there!" She looks positively giddy.

The hare mayor sighs in relief as he watches the lot of travelers go to their rooms. Another hare, a desk clerk several seasons younger with black fur approaches the mayor and whispers. "Is it wise to be keeping these travelers here during the festival? There are so many. What do you plan to do with them?" The mayor looks first to the clerk then to door number 3 down the hallway. "IF our 'thief' doesn't work out, then we have a back up plan." Turning back to the clerk he responds again, "Keep them happy, keep them well fed, and keep them distracted. We don't have the time to prepair them for the festival if our thief doesn't work out, but if quality should fail us, then maybe quantity will save us."

The clerk cringes but nods. She turns away slowly to tend to her duties. She watches silently as the travelers go about their business. Those poor fools...they have no idea what they just stepped into...

Party One - Heroic

Rorgan's alts

Rorgan

Derean Injured, lost an eye

Toran

Derrin

My Alts

Sibyl

Dale Injured

Rioko

Xia Dead - Ventilated by arrows.

Party Two - Less Heroic

Rorgan's Alts and npcs

Montag

Mogat

One-Eye

Furis

Radion

My Npcs

Bushtail

Zee Dead -Eaten by birds