Kael left the general goods store carrying two weeks of snacks and provisions in grocery bags taking up the full length of both his arms, hugging them tightly against his long black coat as though his life depended on it. He kept the brim of his angled downwards, hiding his face and ears behind a minor illusion spell, giving him the appearance of an older housewife, and walked briskly through the rain, keeping an eye on his mana bar as he did so. For the first time he could recall, he was thankful for the sudden downpour, as Milk or any cat for that matter, has decided that they would much rather stay indoors, and people watch from the comfort of their windows. Kael already had all his belongings loaded onto the wagon and Oskar should be finishing up strapping everything down by the time he comes back. With low foot traffic, it wasn’t long before the covered wagon came into view, noticeable by its forest green covering. Its reinforced wheels show that it was designed with long distance in mind. Him and Oskar spending the last two days planning the trip, preparing, and saying their goodbyes, all for the promise of a new life far to the west with no guarantee.

He speedily approached the rear, hefting the groceries on top of a crate and dropped the illusion with a relieved sigh. Looking up, he could see that the wagon was almost completely full, with at least two and a half layers of cargo. Grinning, Oskar met his gaze, smoking from a short straight corn pipe near the front. “Sup!” he greeted, blowing a cloud of smoke in his direction.

“Hey, where’s this ‘Bill’ that I heard so much about?” Kael asked while moving the bags to the side so he could wiggle his way in.

“The poor galah said his sitter canceled on him last minute, sao he took one of the horses and ran back to the apartment saying he’ll be back.”

“Oh? A sitter? Doesn’t he have a wife or lady friend to help with that?” Kael asked, settling on top of a wooden chest, wandering where his bass was. As soon as the thought occurred, he felt a strange sense of its location turned to that direction, spotting it immediately as part of the second layer of cargo right next to Oskar’s drum set, right where he left it! “Does this mean he’s bringing a child with us?” Kael said as he army-crawled towards it.

“Yea, sayms sao. Bill went through a pretty nahsty divorce; I don’t know the details and I don’t think I want to know. He’s a good lad, if a little off.”

"Alright, how long ago did he leave?” Kael asked, getting only a shrug in reply. He propped himself up, using the hard case as a backrest. It wasn’t the most comfortable spot, but it’ll do for now.

“I saw yah gawt a new case, finally saved up enough faw a new lute did ya? Or is one of the fancy ‘acoustic guitahs’ that ya prattle on about?” Oskar teased.

“For your information!” Kael clarified. “This is a gift from my uncle, he made it when my mother passed away.”

“Oh.” Oskar said simply, his pipe midway towards his mouth. “Sorry, mite, I didn’t realoize.”

“It’s okay, wanna hear it?” Kael offered, breaking the light tension.

“Go fah it!” Oskar said, cheering him on. Kael undid the three latches and pulled the loop over his head as he sat cross legged, the curve of the decorative wings resting comfortably on his lap. Oskar let out a low whistle. “Celestial shite, mite, that’s a beauty!” he exclaimed. Kael did a few test strums to find that it was already in tune. The thick strings reverberated as he played long slow notes, trying to convey a sense of sadness while very subtly picking up speed as his strumming hand crept up the strings and started plucking them at the frets before suddenly stopping, letting the last note gradually fade. But this was a trick, before that last note could fade away into silence, he rapidly tapped his fingers vivaciously along the frets. Oskar bobbed his head to the increasing tempo and added a steady drum beat by stomping his foot on a wood box. The pair were so engaged in musical merriment, that they didn’t notice the portly man standing by the wagon’s front entrance until it ended with one grand crashing chord.

“Hey! That’s pretty good!” said the cheery older man, the pair quickly turning their heads to the newcomer. The man appeared to be a human dressed in loose fitting elegant silks that were drenched head to toe from the current downpour. He was clearly overweight with peach colored skin, everything about his face was round, from his chin to his unmaintained eyebrows, including his smile. “Sorry to keep you fellas waitin’, I had to grab a few extra things last minute.” The man chuckled, hefting two extra pieces of luggage onboard, a large leather suitcase and something in similar shape covered in a small tarp. Kael inspected the latter of the two, didn’t Oskar mention something about a baby earlier?

“You must be Kaeldrin!” the man continued, awkwardly climbing on to the front drivers’ seat. “My name is William le Vieil Homme Triste, but folks just call me Bill.” He said removing his wide brimmed hat and giving a low bow, revealing short red-brown hair that is balding on the top.

“Likewise.” Kael greeted. “And no worries about being late, I actually just arrived not long ago. I understand there was an issue regarding a babysitter? Do you have a youngling with you?” asked, trying to nonchalantly put his bass back into the case.

“Oh yeah! She canceled on me this morning but it’s okay! I don’t mind the extra company. Would you like to meet her?”

“I don’t see why not!” Kael said. Bill let out a tiny squeal before reaching down and lifting the small tarp with a swift motion, like he was presenting a prize, but Kael only reared back at what he saw. A small pile of ebony fluff with a red collar nestled comfortably in its soft bed. It drearily lifted its head, blinking a couple times before letting out a big yawn, showing off its sharp teeth. Kael stole a glance over at Oskar, who also glanced at with wide eyes. Thankfully, Bill didn’t seem to notice.

“Aww, she’s gorgeous!” Oskar said cautiously. “How long have ya had her?”

“Oh I had Barby here since she was a kitten a year ago now. She may be a simple non-combat pet, but she helped me get through some real tough times.” Bill said, resting his hand atop the metal cage, looking down at her lovingly. Kael took that moment to force himself to relax, concluding that this was highly likely a normal cat. He looked at the little feline as she adjusted her position and went right back to sleep.

“Apparently, it’s nap time.” Kael said, thinking aloud.

“Yup! She’s a good napper, just like me.” Bill giggled jovially. “Well fellas, I think it’s about time we hit the road, we got quite a trip ahead of us.” Bill said as he climbed into the drivers’ seat and produced a thick orange cloak from a far too small bag on his waist. Sensing there was more to the bag, Kael focused on the strong hint of magic that radiated from it and his eyes went wide when he saw the message.

Perception check: Success!

Bag of Holding

Rarity: Rare

Quality: Great

Description: Commonly used by merchants, thieves, and adventures, these bags have an interior space far larger than its outside may suggest. They are usually rated anywhere between two-hundred to five-hundred pounds and a volume range of thirty to sixty cubic feet and weighs the same regardless of its contents.

Kael stole a moment to process that information. This man has a rare item and is just flaunting it around like a cheap handbag? Oskar said he was a merchant, so how much money did he have? And what exactly does he sell? Kael’s questions continued to pile up and motioned Oskar over to the far side of the wagon and spoke in a low whisper.

“Did you see that!?” Kael asked, gesturing over to Bill.

“What?” Oskar replied with no concern.

“He has a bag of holding! Who knows what other rare stuff he’s got on his person!”

“Yeah, and? The man’s a wealthy merchant, of course he’s gonna have a few toys.”

“Didn’t you say these roads were full of bandits and orcs? Shouldn’t there be an escort?”

“Kael we ARE the escort, thought you figured it out by now with all that int you got.”

“What!? When did I agree to an escort quest!?”

“You didn’t, I did. Did I forget to share that?”

“WHAT!?” Kael exclaimed, barely below a whisper, and watched in horror as Oskar swiped a few invisible screens.

Oskar has offered to share a quest!

Quest Received: Paying the Right Bill

Description: Oskar has offered William le Vieil Homme Triste (A.K.A Bill) to escort him through the old trading route in exchange for a ride to Darlington as well as meals and lodging.

Escort Bill: 0/1

Rewards:

1,000 XP

Accept /// Decline

Kael gulped as he accepted the quest. There was no turning back now so there is really no reason not to. Might as well get experience for it. The wagon jolted forward, the two horses quickly going at a steady rhythm. Kael partially lifted the rear door flap to confirm that they were in fact now in motion before turning back towards Oskar, who had a satisfying grin on his face with his arms rested behind his head leaning against a wooden barrel.

“Well you look pleased as punch.” Kael stated coldly.

“That’s cause I am!” he laughed aloud. “I got us a free ride to a better future away from the hustle of the city, where we can play our songs without someone filing a noise complaint.”

“Sure that does sound nice, but what if we DO get raided? I have my illusions, but they only go so far AND I don’t have any of my old combat gear, so I won’t be nearly as effective. What’s the plan?”

“You don’t need your gear to cast your fancy illusion magic!” Oskar dismissed with a wave of his hand. “We’ll play it by ear and if push comes to shove…” he reached into a crevice beside him in between the luggage and pulled out a soft black rifle case. “I got Piper with me.” He stated, running his hand across the length.

“They let you keep that!? I thought all the gear was supposed to be returned once you finished your service.”

“Well she might’ve been reported missing during a battle, then found again and I may have forgotten to fill out the paperwork.” Oskar stated simply while grinned.

“You’re a menace. You’re carrying around a stolen firearm. That’s a court marshaling.”

“Only if you decide to go all blue falcon on me. No one will know!”

“It’s a standard issue M-one-Garand that only the military manufactures!”

“As far as everyone else knows, it’s a replica!” Oskar retorted. “Plus I beautified her, so she is FAR from ‘standard issue’” he said, mocking the words. “She’s mine and there’s nothing else like her!” He finished.

“Yeah, you tell him!” Bill cheered from the front. “You fight for what you love! Gods know I tried…” He said somberly, instantly souring the mood. Kael realized they were talking more loudly than they probably should have and decided to change the current vibe that now permeated the wagon. Twisting back around he grabbed his bass out from its case and looped the strap over his shoulder, testing a few chords. Oskar, catching on to what Kael seemed to be doing, returned ‘Piper’ to her hiding spot, and fished out a drum from his set with a pair of his sticks. The pair took turns on which of their favorite pieces, from sea shanties like “Gnome Overboard” to the more age old classics like “Tank-Tank Heal Tank!”

They didn’t stop until they reached the city’s outer wall and Bill warned them that they were approaching the gate. Bill was greeted by a very tired and soaked looking elf guard and inspected the papers provided. The guard gave a cursory inspection of the wagon and when he opened the rear flap the pair happily waved at him in greeting, the guard returned their greeting with a nod and sent them on their way as there was already a line of other wagons waiting to pass through as well. Kael held back tears as he watched the gate shrink away as the distance grew, going further and further away from home until the only thing visible was the forming caravan behind them, passing the hilly planes covered in lush green grass. Sighing to himself, he put Nienna back into her case and silently crawled to the front, careful not to disturb the still sleeping cat. The cold rain during a hot summer day caused a dense fog to accumulate and he couldn’t see more than twenty feet ahead of him.

“Hey, Bill.” Kael greeted

“Oh hey, Kael! This fog sure is thick, huh? You two all fiddled out back there?”

“Huh? Oh, yeah, we need to give our fingers a break for a bit and I’d like to look forward for a change. What’s our travel plan? Need us to take over the driver seat?”

“Oh I’ll keep driving until it gets dark or we get to a camping spot I know of, then we’ll rest up for the night and feed the horses. Then the next morning I was thinking one of you two could take over maybe? This seat helps but my butt just gets too sore.”

“Yeah no worries. I wouldn’t expect you to drive for a whole week straight.” Bill smiled at him.

“Thanks, Kael. I really appreciate it.” Bill said, pulling out a steel flask and offering it to Kael, who only sniffed it’s contents once before taking a swig. It was sweet and creamy, with a decent kick to it.

“So I’m curious, I hear you plan on going somewhere after you drop us off at Darlington, Ravenport was it? What's there?” Kael asked, trying to dispel the silence.

“Oh, nothing really, just taking a boat to Rockport in Eshington.”

“Wow! That's quite a trip for just some general goods.” Kael exaggerated slightly, trying to prod him some information to level up his charisma.

“Well yeah.” Bill said nervously while looking like he was contemplating on something.

“Is something wrong, Bill?” Kael prodded further.

“Well, truth be told, I actually plan on moving there and buying some land.” Bill whispered.

“Really? Isn't it nearly impossible to own land there?” Kael asked, genuinely curious. Rumor has it that the Dungeon Corporation owns and runs most of the country. If one wanted to live there, they’d have to rent a living space and even that isn't cheap.

“Well, I may be carrying something that they can’t say “no” to that I can’t talk about too much.” Bill said with a sly smile.

“And you can’t tell me? Oh my wounded heart!” Kael joked, clutching his chest.

“I would if I could, those guys got me under contract, so I literally can’t. Can we change the subject? I’m feeling queasy.” Bill pleaded and Kael didn’t feel the need to continue, knowing full well how powerful contract magic is and consequences of breaching the written terms. The Dungeon Corp were masters of this magic and conquered an entire continent with it. They would’ve conquered the rest of the world had the Gods interfered directly, stopping them in their tracks. Apparently, they didn’t favor world domination.

*****

The following days were long and dull. Any reprieve from sitting or lying down was welcomed as their legs and posteriors grew sore, sometimes walking alongside the wagon just to stretch their legs. Kael lamented on not bringing any books almost as much as Oskar not having something to shoot. He did his best to help pass the time, whether it was lazily strumming his bass, writing songs, or simply working on an unfinished lute that he brought. Anything to keep him distracted. In times when they made camp Bill did most of the cooking while Oskar volunteered to feed the horses and walk the cat. It was a strange sight but was entertaining, nonetheless. Occasionally, he would excuse himself to go ‘polish his rifle’ as he put it, while Kael didn’t completely believe that’s what he was actually doing, he didn’t feel the need to call him out on it.

After three long days on a sunny afternoon, the trio were elated when the sight of a small village came into view cresting over the meadow of purple bellflowers. It was surrounded in lush green grass and was defended only by a short wooden palisade to keep wandering critters out. Children were seen playing in the nearby fields and the village was alive with small crowds in the center of fifteen or so buildings. From what he heard from Bill and Oskar, Hillwood is a popular resting spot for travelers and the like, so it was home to a grand inn encompassed by a flourishing marketplace, but the only thing Kael cared about was a night on a soft warm bed.

As they approached, Kael noticed that the few guards that were stationed by the entrance were both bored and completely uninterested by the comings and goings taking place and passed them, utterly still like a human scarecrow. Kael didn’t like this at first as his livelihood was on the line, but upon thinking about it, was kind of reassuring. For the guards to be so carefree they were either grossly incompetent or that violent crime was so low that there was simply no need to stay vigilant. He certainly hoped that it was the latter. Their wagon passed through without so much as a glance, joining the flow of traffic. Looking around from his seat, Kael noticed that the village was mostly populated by low level humans with a splash of dwarves in the mix and counted twelve buildings not including the couple farm houses in the distance, contrary to his previous assessment. He smiled and waved at the locals who returned his greeting in kind, assuring Kael that this was a safe place after all.

They stopped at a fairly sizable inn, the sign above the wide front porch with the words “The Barking Spider” written in bright green letters in contrast to the dark grey wood of the building. Bill insisted that they stay here for the night, stating that this place had the best potato salad on this side of the continent. Kael and Oskar did not argue as they were not the ones paying for the rooms. Bill paid the nearby young stable hand handsomely to tend to the horses and they walked right inside, greeted by the smell of hot food and joyous laughter. The group took their seats at the bar, they knew there was some stuff to grab from the cart like clothing, but hot meals come first. The nice innkeeper, a thin but fit older lady, gave them their room keys and took their orders. After a couple minutes, she came back with two hot plates and a big bowl of potato salad. Once Kael had something in his stomach, he went into full gossip mode and the innkeeper was all for it.

Kael was putting his high charisma to work, getting details on village history, the surrounding locations, and who’s got the best prices. According to Jess, the lovely innkeeper, this is a really low level area, with the toughest beasties being only level five, making this a ideal training ground for new recruits of city guard who are based only two miles northwest and since this is of the closest civilization to the city, it also serves as a resting spot for weary travelers like him. He got her permission to play on her little stage on the back of the room and was even offered a small discount for the rooms. Apparently, bards were hard to come by in this area and he could understand why. Most people would rather devote their time to something practical like crafting, spell slinging, or sword swinging and don’t care much for the subtle art of music and those that do usually tend to stay in one place. Bards that are in an adventuring party to sing songs of their travels are few and far between but the most well-known, if not by name then by their songs.

Before he knew it, dusk had settled and people started pouring in, there was only one thing on Kael’s mind now and that was showtime! He went over to Oskar to share his information and he perked up at the news. With wide smiles they ran towards the wagon and grabbed everything they needed while discussing what to play. Thankfully, Oskar took his passion to heart and invested heavily in protecting his drums with two large hard cases, making it easy for travel and setting up. The duo giggling like children while they wheeled them inside. This was going to be just like Saturday night at the Daily Grind, except with a whole new crowd that are going to remember this night for years! Checking the time, today was indeed Saturday, even better!

They were on the stage in no time, setting up Oskar’s drum set. The set was more modern in design, a set of three cymbals and five drums with a cherry wood pattern along the sides that complimented Kael’s rosewood base. The growing crowd looked at them with excitement and it wasn’t long before all the seats were taken, but that didn’t stop the small group of children from sitting in a half circle around the stage. They were getting front row seats as far as anyone else was concerned. As the crowd grew, so did Kael’s nervousness, maybe putting himself out here like this isn’t a good idea? Well, he was three days away from the city and the only cat around that he saw was Bill’s. Plus, it’s a bit too late to turn tail now, he’d rather deal with the shadow cat mob than an angry crowd. Maybe come up with a new stage name? Oh, he liked that idea! He squatted down next to Oskar while adjusting the tom drums to his preferred height and whispered just loud enough for him to hear. “What should our stage name be?”

“What? Oh, I don’t know, just make something up like a big word no one knows.” Oskar whispered back. “You ready?”

“Gods I hope so. Let’s actually start off with the working man song. I think I can change some words around.” Kael muttered before putting on a calm smile, despite not being calm at all. He strode to the front of the stage, standing straight yet relaxed as, to his surprise, the lights in the lobby became dim and a spotlight flashed on. All eyes were on him now and he knew it was time to impress them. “Evening ladies and gentlemen! I am Ned, this is Ted, and tonight we’ll be your entertainment.” He stated simply, while Oskar began the beat, setting the tempo. Dun, dun-de-dun tsk. Dun-de-dun tsk. Kael played his bass on the third iteration, matching the upbeat rhythm and channeled mana into his instrument with the intent to uplift any sour mood. Kael didn’t think that with a thirty percent success rate that he would get everybody but hoped that the effect would grow the more he played. Scanning the crowd, he saw a few heads bobbing to the beat and took it as a good sign. Finally he focused the channel and instructed mana to run through his throat, letting the words flow.

“Oh, he’s the Darlington man!

The man with a tan,

Doing anything he can,

For the sake of his clan!

He’s always up by seven,

So he can work by nine.

He’s got no time for living,

Cause he’s working all the time!

Same old job, average pay!

Nine to five, everyday!

A decent life,

With a loving wife!

Oh, he’s the Darlington man!

The man with a tan,

Doing anything he can,

For the sake of his clan!

His hands are calloused, his body aches,

Six days a week is what it takes!

The children upfront were easily entertained by the melody; they likely didn’t fully understand the subtext of the song, but they enjoyed it enough to bob their heads and sway side to side with the beat. The other patrons, particularly the men, which were a majority of the room, simply lapped it up. They cheered and whistled, the easily relatable words clinging to their hearts like glitter. Some even had tears in their eyes. The entire tavern seemed to be present by the time he finished Kael’s forth song. A few couples have miraculously found space in the crowd to dance with their loved one. Kael found that the more he played, the more likely his bass would trigger its Heart Strings effect. At the start of every song more people seemed to be influenced by it, to the point where it seemed that almost the whole inn was in a dancing mood.

Kael felt that the room was getting a little too wild for his liking, so he decided that they’re going to finish strong with his personal favorite, Lovers Fool, a musical piece as old as time itself and is often regarded in the musical community as a classic. As an added bonus, it gave him a chance to rest his voice a bit and shift his focus on his other talent, illusions. He realized rather quickly that he never played this piece on his bass before, only on a borrowed guitar from his uncle’s shop, which had six strings while his bass had only four. Still, that didn’t stop him, instead, he did the best he could, rapidly plucking the thick cords with his digits, occasionally using the frets on the bottom of the neck to play those needed high notes. Once he got the hang of it, he used the bass as a focus and channeled his mana to cast an illusionary screen in front of the duo and projected a moving picture.

The screen showed a sad tale Kael had witnessed too many times while deployed. It was a story of a man who spent most of his life with the girl he loved and grew up with. One day, the man had been called to join the war, he wrote letters everyday while trying desperately to stay alive in high combat zones. Being the lucky few to survive, he came home to find that his wife had been unfaithful. Kael did alter this story to include a happy ending for the sake of the story, but that wasn’t always the case in reality. The crowd loved it so much they were chanting for an encore. Smiling to himself he gave the people what he wanted with a different piece simply titled ‘Dream’ and told a more inspirational story. This had to be his last however, because as soon as he finished nature came calling, and it demanded an answer.

The screen faded away in sparkling particles and revealed a bowing Kael. Oskar, thankful that it was finally over, stepped to his side and did the same. As they walked off the stage Kael, had to wave off many attempted hugs and pads on the back as they did not help with his current situation, so many had to settle for high fives or handshakes. Three days of meat and junk food had finally caught up to the poor elf and apparently decided that they want out now, like RIGHT now. He kept wading through the crowd until he reached the far side of the inn that said ‘Outhouse’ and practically burst through the door and was greeted by the pleasant chill of the night air. He found himself in some sort of backyard area surrounded by a spiked iron fence, rife with the smell of bile and other excrements emanating from the two outhouses at the back of the enclosure. With clenched cheeks, he walked briskly to the one on the left marked by a stick figure not wearing a skirt and took care of some personal business.

Now relieved, he stepped out utterly exhausted, staring at his hands with disgust. If he had to guess the quality of the toilet paper here, he’d say it was either poor or trash and often had to use extra just to insure there was no accidental tourism. With a clear mind he scanned the yard and spotted a hand cranked water pump next to an upturned bucket with a bar of soap on top. He rinsed, lathered, rinsed, then lathered again for good measure as soapy water pooled at his feet. Once satisfied, he rapidly flicked his hands dry and turned back to the entrance. However, he had this feeling again, like he was being watched. The hairs in the back of his head stood up and a chill ran up his spine. Military instincts took over and he quickly took cover behind the water pump and checked his mana bar. It wasn’t much, only in the double digits. He cursed at himself for poor regen as he checked his waist, feeling the cold leather of the daggers hilt. He scanned the yard once again and saw that in the shadows, a small pair of eyes were staring directly at him. When those eyes were spotted, the owner emerged, revealing a familiar black cat with a red collar. It let out a soft mew in greeting and Kael took a deep sigh of relief, standing back up from behind his “cover.”

“Hey Barby! What are you doing out in the dark? We better get you back before Bill notices.” He said as the two walked closer to each other. The cat meowed again, rubbing her side along his pant legs while purring gleefully. Kael knelt to one knee and reached out his hand to her, she in turn sniffed his hand and rubbed her cheek against a knuckle. The purring princess strode under him in between his legs and was out of sight for only a moment before Kael was unceremoniously tackled to the ground, hard.

“So you think you can get away so easily?” whispered a purring, feminine voice by his ear.

“Barby?” Kael asked while trying to lift his head, only to be slammed back down by a clawed hand, the sharp talons digging into his scalp. Only now did he realize that his right arm was pinned by his back and the other under his chest. He was, as Oskar would put it, fucked.

“Do not call me by that name!” she hissed. “I go by Claw, not that it will matter.” She lifted Kael’s head by his hair, adjusted her position, and with her left hand reached a sharpened claw towards the right side of his throat. Time seemed to slow for Kael as both fear and adrenaline surged through his mind. This was it, everything he did led up to this moment. Years of studying, training, and experiences only to die in a bile infested backyard in some hick town in the middle of nowhere with his throat gashed wide open. And yet, his thoughts somehow landed on his mother. Memories of her flashed in his mind until that was all he could see. Her soft, gentle face and her deep blue eyes gazing upon him warmly. I guess I get to see you soon, mother. I missed you a lot. He thought. To his surprise the image of his mother opened her mouth, as if about to speak. However, words did not come out, instead she furrowed her brow and bellowed a deep and bestial: “WWAAAAAAAAAAGH!”

Kael snapped back to reality, catching a glimpse of a large green figure charging right towards him fast and furious. The next moment it slammed into Claw with full force and for a moment Kael was almost too dumbstruck to react and just managed to flip over on his back to see an orc of things, going toe to toe with his assailant, fighting literally tooth and nail. Or rather in this case; tooth and claw. Barby, or Claw as she called herself, was wearing black leather armor along with her signature red collar. The orc one the other hand, didn’t wear much of anything and was keen on showing off his red gowing tattooed covered muscles, particularly the savage look one on his chest, sporting only a pair of boots, gloves, and belted pants. He really didn’t seem to care about the sharp claws raking against his bare skin, instead he focused on vigorously punching the cat in the face. Claw was desperately trying to hold her ground but to no avail. One over extended swipe was all the orc needed to wrap his beefy arms around her, hoisting her over his shoulder and leapt backwards, crushing her with his bone crunching weight. The orc then rolled off of her, getting back on his feet before unceremoniously flopped to his side like a puppet with cut strings. The red glow of his tattoos quickly faded to a normal black.

Kael just didn’t know what to do. He realized he was just lying there like a dead fish watching the whole scene unfold in front of him and promptly stood up, brushing the extra dirt off himself as he did so and walked over to where the orc was laying. As he drew closer, he heard snoring emitting from him and saw his chest slowly rise and fall. The poor guy had worn himself out! He looked over to where the cat lady had been laying only to find that she was missing. He sighed, at this point nothing else really surprised him anymore. She’ll probably try to kill him again later but that was a problem for another time. It was just as well; he really didn’t have the heart to tell Bill that his cat was dead. He drew his attention back to the orc still snoozing away. There was a lot that he didn’t know about him, like where he came from or why was he here? But he couldn’t just leave him here, not when he just saved his life! He paced around for a bit, planning out his next course of action. Then he noticed a beige blanket by the exit. That’s probably what he was wearing before charging into the fight. The more he thought about the more it made sense.

He tossed the blanket over him and tried to heft the sleeping giant, then he realized how sketchy this looks. He couldn’t lift and carry him, it was too awkward, and he didn’t want to risk dropping him, but he can drag him around easily enough. Then there was a matter of him being an orc; Kael himself had no personal issues but couldn’t say the same for everyone else so dragging this one through the inn might seem pretty suspect. He had an idea forming in his mind but needed to open his spell list to check out a spell to make sure he could pull it off.

Spell: Silent Image, Rank 10

Range: 120 feet

Mana cost: 160

Duration: Concentration, 30 minutes

Description: Create an image of an object, a creature, or other visible phenomenon that is no larger than a twenty-five foot cube. The image is purely visible and is not accompanied by any other sensory effects. If you concentrate, you can cause the image to move anywhere within range and have it appear natural for the image.

This spell was secret to his success, a spell he used so often that he got it at maximum rank by level twenty-one when he was serving in the Mage-Corps. It was a difficult spell that any illusionist worth his salt had to have and it was second nature to him at this point, at the rank he was at he didn’t even need to use the hand gestures. He simply needed to pour his mana with the idea of the spell in mind, projecting an image of one of Oskar’s ridiculously sized drum cases, resulting in a very real migraine as his mana reserves plummeted back down to the single digits. Of course, to him, the caster, the illusion was transparent, but to everyone else, it looked just as solid as the real thing, except for when they actually try to touch it. Fighting through the head throbbing he grabbed the ‘box’ from under the shoulders and dragged it back into the inn.

The inn had died down substantially since Kael had finished playing with only a handful of patrons lingering about, it was actually impressive. No one seemed to bat an eye at him while silently dragged a heavy “box” across the lobby to the stairs. He got five steps up before he heard someone calling up to him from the bottom. “Oh Kael honey, there you are!” Said the blond innkeeper, whose name he had completely forgotten about by now. Her thin frame waved at him enthusiastically. “I wanted to thank you for the show! Is there anything you need, hun? Your friends have already turned in for the night.”

“Oh no, I’m fine, thank you. I just need some rest.” Kael replied while taking another step back up the stairs.

“Here, how about I help with that.” She said, her hand already reaching forward but Kael was quick to interject.

“No-no please! It’s heavier than it appears, and I really don’t want to see you get hurt.”

“Honey, I may not look it, but I am stronger than I appear!” She sassed, using his words against him. Clearly, she did not like being called weak. Kael’s migraine throbbed trying to think of something.

“Uh, It’s actually quite embarrassing, you see I have a few… unmentionables in here for the trip and the case here is compromised so one wrong slip up and may result in disaster.”

“Oh, I gotcha, hun.” She said putting her hands up. “Well, if you need anything just holler for me, okay?”

“Will do!” Kael said, dragging the body further up the stairs. Now that this crisis was avoided, it was time to confront Oskar with this issue and the dread that came with it.

Charisma +1!

Ah, will there’s that at least, he thought to himself, and it made him feel a little better. He will undoubtedly put it to work here soon.