And Vega's form contorted in pain, becoming a wereboar.
Vega locked his eyes on Henry and before anyone could react, grappled the boy. Then threw him up in the air. Luca was unable to cling to Henry's shirt and skidded off onto the deck.
Henry tries to shoot at Vega. It does no damage but it looked cool!
(Thok announced the wereboar and himself in a wrestling announcer style)
Thok pulled out his Wand of Magic Missiles, spending a charge against Vega. Vega turned, wanting the one who hit him dead.
Menelwen used Mage Armor and stayed behind Thok and Theamen.
Sasha yelled at Vega. "You look like the scab on a troll's ass!" dealing seven points of psychic damage. She moved away.
Luca collected himself and started to fly. He turned into his large form mid air to try and save Henry.
Theamen holds his action.
Vega turned, charging for Sasha. He grappled her and Theamen's Thunderwave goes off. Using Sasha as an improvised weapon, Vega attacked Thok with her.
He missed both times.
"I'm afraid you're suffering delusions of adequacy!" Cutting words by Sasha.
Henry hit the deck hard, bruised but not broken. Seeing what was going on, he tried using Sleep on Vega. But he wasn't the one with the lowest hit points. Menelwen started to feel drowsy but managed to snap out of it.
"Yeeha! We're gonna hog tie this thing!" Thok yelled out, grappling the pig. He didn't know how to get Vega to release the Sasha. Nor did he have rope. "Yes! I got the piggy! What do I do with him?"
Menelwen used Shatter on Vega. (7 points of damage).
Sasha twists, flipping him off and misty steps out of the grip. She ends up next to Henry, still flipping him off. "I'd insult you but I feel that Mother Nature's beaten me to the punch!" (10 points of damage)
Theamen looks at Sasha."Burn." A pause. To Menny. "Burn." He used Burning Hands, carefully placed. (19 points of damage).
Luca lands, nuzzling Henry apologetically. Henry tells him to get Sasha out of range. He grabs Sasha and flies up.
Vega reaches back, clawing at Thok. Reckless Rage triggered, a blessing from Malar.
Henry saw the damage Burning Hands did and did the same. He slid underneath Vega and aimed up. It worked, but also damaged Thok, Theamen, and set the rigging on fire. Henry was knocked prone underneath the wereboar.
Menelwen sees Sasha flying away on Henry's tiger, sees Thok barely standing, Henry knocked prone...
She did a stupid thing. She managed to Dimension Door herself onto shore with Vega. The intent was to crash fireballs on him without setting the boat more on fire.
"Did she just-" Thok was shocked.
"If that wereboar doesn't kill her, I might." Theamen snapped. He cast Haste on himself, jumping into the water and swam to shore as fast as possible.
The plan would have worked...! Now that Vega had only one target, he attacked her. She managed to shield against the first attack, but the second knocked her unconscious. (24 points of damage)
Henry cried out for Luca. Thok handed him the Decanter to put out the flames (and his eyebrows). He sends a blast of Magic Missiles at Vega, drawing his attention away from the now downed wizard.
"Raaawr!"
"Whaaaat?!"
Vega turned back and saw that his prey had vanished. But his gaze locked on the village. He bolted towards it.
He tore through two dock hands.
Henry put out the fire. Luca returned without Sasha.
Menelwen comes to with a hand over her mouth. "We're invisible." Sasha hissed. "But you're a fucking idiot. Stay down until the others get here."
Theamen got to shore, water pouring from his plate mail. He screamed her name, panicking.
Menelwen fought to break her hold to answer him but she won.
Henry touches down with Luca next to a panicking Theamen. "Where's Menny?"
"I don't know. I don't know!"
"She's probably somewhere safe. I mean, if she was dead, we'd find a body." It was an attempt at comfort that fell flat.
Thok could do nothing with Vega this far away other than help direct the boat to shore.
Menelwen used her mold earth cantrip to break the invisibility. Sasha spit out sand, pulling back. Theamen noticed and rushed over. He dropped to his knees and pulled her into his arms.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry...I'm sorry."
"That was so stupid." His grip was tight on her. He casted Cure Wounds on her, restoring ten points.
Henry followed him over. "What's the plan?"
"We're killing the pig." Theamen said. The front of the boat crunched against shore but it docked. Thok joined the group.
"On your feet soldier. We need to get him away from the village! Now!"
Theamen nodded, full of rage. He stood, helping Menny up. He stared her dead in the eyes. "In. The. Back."
Her eyes widened and nodded. "Yes sir."
Theamen, still hasted bolted off for the village.
Vega continued his rampage, tearing a guy in half, hitting another guy with the halves of the first. He curb-stomped one who dared to live.
Henry looked to Thok for orders.
"Ey! Ey dumbass pig! Over here!" He was finally in range again for Magic Missile. Putting Vega bacj into a rage.
Vega saw around him people full of fear. He smirked, thinking he put it there. Until he noticed they weren't looking at him. They were looking at someone else.
Dark energy, nearly pitch black swirled around Vega as a bead of red light hovers in front of him. People run as a fireball bursts.
Vega's form shifted, back to his human form. Fully naked, the tips of his antlers on fire. Nearly down.
Theamen walked over and clocks him across the jaw with the pommel of his sword to drop him to zero.He grabs him, dragging him back to the ship.
Thok issued commands. Henry was to put out the fires in the village, Menelwen to tend to the people and fold up their damaged boat.
Sasha appeared again, next to Henry. She stared in awe and shock at the destruction.
"I didn't expect this....I mean...there are people trying to kill me..." Deep breath, exhale. "I'm blackmailing Thok because I thought I'd be protected but this..." she gestured around. "I don't know if I signed on for this."
"Have you been manipulating my friends behind my back?"
"To be fair sweetie, I've been manipulating you too."
They were quiet for a moment. "We're done."
"I figured. But for the record...I was telling the truth. I don't tell everyone that." She walked away.
Henry focused on hos task.
The individuals on the boat booked it as soon as the wereboar was downed. Menny puts the boat away and they take refuge on another boat.
Vega was tied and shackled. He had a lovely dream. "You served me well..."
Henry found Thok."I messed up, I messed up really bad."
"No shit."
"If...you want me to leave, I'll leave."
"You're saved by the fact that someone fucked up worse. Those deaths are on Menelwen's hands."
She winced, having overheard and knowing he was right.
Theamen was not looking at any of them, just staring daggers at Vega.
Sasha dropped by, telling Thok that their arrangement was fine, that she told Henry the truth but not his secret. She paused by Menelwen. "Glad you made it through okay."
"...Thank you. I wouldn't be alive if you hadn't done that.." A nod, and Sasha walked off.
Theamen dragged Vega towards the hold.
Thok called out to him. "We need him alive."
Theamen paused, a thoughtful look and a nod.
"Just alive." Thok said.
The next morning, Vega wakes up, sore, aching and bound. Thok sits in the cell with him.
Thok: Welcome back.
Vega: What happened?!
Thok: Well, you murdered half the town.
Vega: I did what?!
Thok: Care to explain your new master?
It clicked in Vega's mind.
Vega: So that's what he meant/
Thok: Explain what he meant by what, precious?
Vega: That's what he meant about owning my kind.
Thok refreshed Vega's mind about what happened.
Vega looked up at him. "Why are you keeping me alive?"
"We are not the ones to sentence you. Yet."
Sasha stood on the deck, looking back where she came from. Henry goes over to her.
Henry: You know...I joined this party after my sister was taken from me.
Sasha: I'm sorry to hear that.
Henry: I thought it was a rescue mission...or maybe recovering her body for burial. This...is the first group of friends I've had. I turned on my sister for them. I can forgive a lot of things...like manipulating me. But I can't forgive you for manipulating Thok.
Sasha explained to him her story. How she was born, her mother was raped and abused...the man was coming back for her. She'd made up so many stories, manipulated so many people to get where she was. "I don't need for be forgiven for how I've survived." A pause. When questioned about her loyalty, she pointed out that she wouldn't have risked her life to keep Henry's family alive if she wasn't.
Henry nods and walks away.
Menelwen, who had been keeping to herself, just consumed with guilt for what she did finally got up, She needed to speak with Theamen and with Thok. Neither of which would be easy.
Before she could make it that far, Henry finds her.
"H-hey."
"Look, Menny, I just wanted to apologize to you. I know how much you care about Theamen...and I hurt him."
She looked away. "...I think..I hurt him more."
"But-"
She raised a hand. "Look, I appreciate it, but you have nothing to apologize for. I...it's my fault." She excused herself politely and went to Theamen.
He was sitting in a cabin, his armor off in a corner of the room. In his hand he clutched the sigil of Mystra that he normally wore. He looked between it and the armor, back again.
She knocked.
"Do you have a minute...?"
"Come in."
She stepped over, sitting next to him. She apologized, explaining to him why she did it. Seeing Thok and Theamen hurt...Henry prone... ".All I could think was getting him away from you all...to keep you safe."
"...don't do something that stupid again." He sighed. She rested her head on his shoulder. "...I can't hear her anymore."
"What?"
"I can't hear Mystra anymore. My powers...aren't doing what they're supposed to...but I feel it. I'm getting power from somewhere...I just don't know who or where. I don't...know what the future holds from here."
He threw the sigil across the room.
After a little while of comfort and apologies, they go together to see Vega and Thok.
Theamen gives Thok the signal that one person came by.
She was let in. "...I...I wanted to apologize." Menelwen spoke to Thok. Vega's shoulders relaxed a little. At least he knew she survived.
"You're gonna spend a long time making it up."
"...I know. I expect as much."
"Good."
Theamen stepped around to Vega's sight and threatened him. If he ever endangered Menelwen like that again, Theamen would kill him. He steps out.
Vega, Menelwen and Thok talk for a bit. The decision is to find a way to handle the curse he was given.
Theamen finds Henry, apologizing to him for not checking on him sooner. Henry confides in him the truth about Sasha. The paladin cracks a smile and a small laugh at the teenage drama.
"Heh, none of our lives are easy. We're human, we make mistakes."
"But she manipulated us-"
"She need not have. Thok is a good man, I was oath bound, and Menelwen is kind. We just keep doing what we think is best. Menelwen being self sacrificing in her mind, Thok reverts to his military training...what about you?"
Feeling better after their talk, Henry calls a meeting to ask everyone's opinions about Sasha joining. They agreed. So he went to go talk to her.
She was sitting on the dock, her clothes untarnished despite what happened last night. She kicked at the water.
"I spoke with the group, we want you to join us...What's your name?"
Sasha looked thoughtful for a moment. Frowned."I don't know if I know anymore."
Henry gave her a new name. "Lily. I like that. It's a happier name." she smiled. Then warned Henry that Vega and Theamen were dangerous. "They're touched by something dark."
"Is Theamen evil?"
"I don't think he's evil, just dangerous."
"Would he hurt Menelwen?"
"No. I think he would let the world burn to save her." A sigh. "I suppose I can show you now." She pulled a cord, the illusion rippling over her to show polished black leather armor with silk cords. And a chain with a scroll pendant. "Comprehend languages. I wasn't lying when I said I don't speak it...I just understand what's being said."
She offered Henry some advice about lying. "Don't actually lie. Play up the fact that people think we're weak and stupid. Tell them the story they want to hear. And always make them the hero."
"It'll take a while to get my trust back." Henry told her.
"I didn't think I'd get this far." They agree to start over from step one as friends.
"Just don't betray us."
"Just remember, I'm support. If I'm running, I'm not leaving. Trust that I have a plan."
The party regroups, Vega still bound. Menelwen raised concerns about Vega wanting to die.
"He doesn't." Theamen pulled him to his feet. "Only a coward would do that." He also made it known to the party that he doesn't feel the touch of his goddess, that he thinks another one may want to be his patron. He doesn't know who. "I'm in the same boat as you." He said to Vega. "and I've chosen to not take my life." Theamen leaves to go put his armor on. When he returns, it's completely tarnished and a complete black circle where the sigil used to hang.
It takes Vega longer to get dressed, still shackled. He managed to pull on pants and a shawl.
They walk through Womford, looking at the destruction. It was littered with debris, husks of bodies, charred remains, two halves of a man...
A child threw a rock at Vega and ran away.
The party moves on, the two days march to Red Larch.
Upon reaching the village, they see someone they recognize. Kaylessa, flanked by a couple guards and several people they had escorted.
"Good. At least one of them's in chains. Arrest them." She pointed at Vega and Theamen.
"But-" Menelwen tried to step up. Theamen took his sword out, and handed it to Menelwen.
"There's a way that things need to be done." He allowed himself to be shackled and dragged off.
To be tried.
And possibly executed.
~To be continued~
No comments:
Post a Comment