Episode 22- Old Faces

Red Larch has been destroyed. “What now?” Henry asked, looking around.

Thok crushed the note in his hand. “We answer them.”

The party split up, investgating to see if there were any survivors or anything that could be recovered. Menelwen was distraught, having been through something like this before. Henry followed the smell of brine and pickles. He hauled and flipped some rubble off to reveal the body of Grund.

It took a good number of hours to collect the bodies. Menelwen used Mold Earth to create graves. Henry retrieved a few cucumber seeds and planted them over Grund's grave.

The party leaves after tending to everything they could but head on a different path. The woods open up to reveal rolling fields of crops. Wheat sways, a windmill and small cottage.

“Thok...was this your home?” Henry asked.

“This is my home.” Thok nodded, leading the way forward. A very large woman was hanging clothes on a line outside of the cottage. She was a full-blooded orchish woman, her jet black hair cut short and smaller tusks protruded from her mouth.

“Thoky!” She beamed when seeing him. She picked him up like he was a child.

“Hey mom.”

A small human man, about 5ft 2 inches walked out in spectacles. When Thok was released, he picked his father up in a hug.

“Come in.” Thok's mom beamed, leading the party inside the cozy farm house. “Thoky, where are your manners?”

Thok chuckled, setting the table. Mama Thok picked Henry up and plopped him down at the table. She provided milk and stew. “When was the last time you were home? Years?”

“Months.”

“Oh yes! He was home for my birthday.” His parents introduced themselves as Olinar and Marvin Fletcher.

Henry was just stunned, unsure what to do with such a warm and loving family environment. Olinar put Vega in charge of chopping vegetables. She gave Luca milk and meat.

Over dinner, Marvin asked, “So Thok. How goes the adventuring life?”

“You know how it is.”

“No, I don't. Your mother was the adventure.” He chuckled.

“We're trying to save the world.” He told him.

“Ah those are the days...your mother knows all about that. Something about dragons...” he mused.

Vega fixed the stone in the mill for them after helping in the kitchen.

Over dinner the party got to know more about Thok's parents, how they met. Marvin was a writer who had been tasked with writing the story of Olinar's party. Thok took out the book, offering it to Menelwen who started reading. She shared it with Theamen.

Olinar got up and retrieved a frost-brand sword and gave it to Thok to “avoid being a bad parent.” “Use your head. You use, you stay alive, you do not lose.” She told him.

“Of course.”

“You good boy Thoky.”

Everyone helped with the dishes after dinner before turning in. Thok was too big for his bed so he allowed Lily to take it.

Menelwen and Theamen rested on cots in the main room.

Vega forgoes a long rest to enrich the farmland. When he did rest, he checked in on Henry.

“You know...I envy you.”

“Have you lost family?” Henry asked.

“My older sister.”

“What happened?” This was the first time he really opened up to Henry.

“...It was because I wasn't strong enough. My own weakness caused her to die. You still have a chance to get stronger to save yours.”

“I hope I don't let you down.”

Vega offered him a smile. “That's why I want to help you. You're like a brother to me.”

Henry felt heat rise in his cheeks. “...Rosette and I looked out for each other. I worry....that I was a burden or obligation for her..”

“Yes, the family obligation...because those ties are strong indeed.” Vega agreed.

“I'm nervous. About going to the spire I mean. What if I see her?”

“You won't be alone.” Vega assured him. “We'll all be there for you.”

That was enough to settle his mind to rest. Until he decided he wanted to see Lily, just to talk. Henry failed to sneak out.

“Henry...” Vega said, eyes still closed. “You can just walk.”

“Shut up Vega.” Thok said. “Henry, why are you sneaking here?” He rolled over, falling back asleep. As he walked outside, he saw a shape in the grass. A fox. It vanished through the grass. Henry followed it. Turns out it was Lily.

“Since this is our last chance to talk about it...I'm going to be blunt. I'm staying here.”

“What?”

She explained that if she kept going forward with the party that she was a liability and a risk.

“But how-”

She changed her appearance to look like a young half orc girl. “I'll be hiding in plain sight.”

“When did you decide?”

“Yesterday.”

“After we saw everything...” Henry frowned. She nodded. “...I wish you the best.”

“You too. Don't die. And after, make sure they don't.” She slipped off to sneak back into the house. Heartbroken, Henry returned to the barn. He went to wake Thok. As a reflex, Thok grabbed him by the throat.

“Oh, it's Henry.” He released him, coughing and sputtering. “Oh get over it.”

“You knew?”

“Yeah.”

“Will she be safe?” Henry asked.

“Have you read the book? Met my mother? Yes, she'll be safe,”

Still hurt, Henry went to take the sleeping Luca (in a food coma) from Thok, but failed to do so.

The Next Morning

Still full from dinner, everyone met up for breakfast. Thok's father looked at his fruit and oatmeal.

“It's good for your heart.” Olinar told him.

“Fuck my heart, I wanna eat.” He grumbled. Thok slipped his father bacon when his mother's back was turned; a well practiced move.

After saying their thanks and goodbyes, the party minus Lily headed towards the spire. Vega checked out the path ahead as a giant eagle. There were some shadowy figures but nothing to be worried about. Yet.

Avoiding the plateau and gnoll packs, they arrived at the bridge to the spire. It was rickety but would hold. They crossed the bridge, Thok leading the charge. An eagle head battering ram slammed into him as he went through the door, skidding back out onto the bridge. Henry checked for traps, finding nothing else other than that.

Checking out the rooms as they climbed they tower revealed...nothing. Empty except for scorched beds and rotting sacks of vegetables in the storage rooms. They climbed to the top. Smoke was distorting the sight of a figure and a spyglass. Vultures circled overhead.

The figure was tied to a pole, overlooking the edge. They recognized it when the smoke blew slightly. Kaylessa! She was still breathing but looked to be in bad shape. A trip wire was set up that would drop her if any of them misstepped.

Thok and Vega stepped over, carefully. Henry disarmed it, Thok catching her. Vega did a medicine check to see that she was near death. Thok investigated the spyglass and the note that had numbers on it. Failing to understand it, he handed it over to Menelwen.

After about an hour, while Theamen and Vega tended to Kaylessa, she found the fissure in the rock a few miles away. Hooded figures were standing there, facing the tower. Then they turned, vanishing through a door or pathway.

They bring Kaylessa down to a bed. Menelwen cushions and tends to her during the night. It was a fitful night for Kaylessa.

The next morning, she was able to speak even just a little bit. She told them about how a group had walked into town with a box, so carefully carried. When it was opened, a sky blue and white mist orb was revealed. It was something that appeared to be worshipped. They chanted for an hour and then the orb just exploded outward, a maelstrom, like being caught in a hurricane. She had woken up with a girl standing over her. A cruel smile and auburn hair...

The next thing she remembered was waking again to stare out over the valley.

Henry stood, walking out of the room.

Vega and Menelwen followed him. They had to talk and reassure him about Rosette...and that they would need to face her. But they would do what they could to save her. “Don't give into despair. Don't become like me.” Vega told him.

They hugged him.

Thok and Theamen spoke about what to do with Kaylessa. They needed to keep her safe...but they did need to press on and couldn't take her with them. Theamen decided the best course of action would be to send word to his father to come and collect her. He wouldn't want to help Theamen, but he would do it for Kaylessa.

For this, they needed a way to send long distance messages.

Vega had the capability. He split off to find a bird to send the message, He offered food to a raven and instructed it where to go.

The party waited with Kaylessa until they heard a crack. Rushing up to the roof of the spire, they saw a teleportation circle materialize. Two paladins of Mystra flanked a half elf female. She wore scale mail armor, robers over it. Her hair was deep brown and pulled back to reveal her slightly pointed ears. “Hey The, been a long time.” She walked over and rapped her knuckles on his breastplate.

“Kerris, it's been a while.”

Menelwen twitched, not liking how close she was to him. “You have history?” She asked, trying to gauge the other woman.

“Mm and if he hadn't left, a future.”

“Excuse me?”

“You've been getting him in trouble. And well, I couldn't have my future husband be put death by his father.”

“Future husband?!”

Theamen was growing increasingly uncomfortable. The party brings Kerris and the paladins down to Kaylessa.

She checked Kaylessa out. “She needs proper healers.”

“We did what we could. But we need to press on. To take care of the cults.”

Kerris looked at Menelwen, raising an eyebrow. “You lack competent healers.”

Menelwen formed fists at her side, gritting her teeth. Thok was laughing in the corner. “Our healeras are fine.” She spat.

“Our healer's Vega.”

“Shut up!”

Henry pictured her naked almost instantly, blushing furiously. Kerris smirked. “I expected more out of a wizard, really. Control your thoughts lest you come off as stupid...and really Theamen? A full elf? Your father won't be happy...” As a cleric of knowledge, she was able to read the surface thoughts.

The paladins picked Kaylessa up and brought her upstairs. “See you The.” Kerris grinned, leaving.

They vanished.

“Well...I'll go throw myself off the tower.” Theamen stood.

“Oh no you're not.” Menelwen grabbed and pulled him back. “What's going on?”

He explained that she was a childhood friend, the niece of his instructor. The bethrothal was forced upon him in an attempt to bond the families. His father hadn't been happy, but both her human half and elf half were from noble families so he begrudgingly agreed.

“She's insufferable, coniving, a liar. Worse, a politician who will do whatever she needs for political goal.”

“Why didn't you tell me sooner?”

“Because I figured it was broken given my father almost executed me.”

“I see.” Menelwen sighed, still shaking with slight rage. They had bigger things to take care of. Like handling the air cult for one...

~To be Continued...~