After we’d been paid, the guards who were shadowing us politely hinted that it would be better for everyone if we made our way out of the city sooner, rather than later. Not that any of us disagreed, really. After all, ‘altercations’ with local lords rarely ended in a single confrontation. As things were, they were still at the level where the Guard could overlook things, claiming I acted in self-defense. But the next attack, and we had to assume there’d be another attack, since pride would demand it, might not allow me the same restraint.

Fortunately, Frostmane and I were already ready to leave. Magic made it easy to carry everything you needed to travel with you on your person at all times. Our companions were just a little slower. After all, they couldn’t fly, as I could, or run at the speed of a wolf. So, they went back to the brothel they had been staying at, which was truly a shrine of Malcanthet, and gathered the twin light warhorses that they had bought before, when they’d been preparing to find individuals to join their party.

So it was that, only an hour after we had finished with the Temple of Selune, we were riding through the gates of the city, leaving Northport at our backs. It was just past midday, so we had plenty of daylight left to start our journey. Looking back, I saw the same guardsman who had been trailing us the entire morning offer me a nod as we left the city, and then turned to head back inside the gates. He was, no doubt, happy that any further issues were not going to be his problem.

That first day, nothing happened, other than chancing upon a couple travelers on the road. They were on foot, and did not look to be the type who would typically go for long hikes in the wilds, as one was clearly a merchant who clearly had never gone hungry in his life. As the fat merchant collapsed to the ground, panting for breath, the lone swordsman by his side called out to us.

“Hail, adventurers! Ware the roads! They are not safe for man nor beast!”

Melinda’s Diplomacy Roll: 1d20+14 = 33

I walked up to them, and said, “Truly? We are headed towards Moonwater to the south and east, at behest of the temple of Selune. What dangers lurk upon the road, good sir?”

The swordsman paused at my words, as though weighing them in his mind. Then, he sighed, and said, “I do not know much, but it seems that a great evil has taken root in the Moonwood. Something has stirred, and it is driving other creatures before it. Normally, these monsters are not seen in the open, so close to Northport, but whatever is happening in the Moonwood is driving the monsters to desperate ends, I fear.”

“Indeed, we were beset by not even four hours after we lost sight of Northport’s walls. Small annoyances, for the most part, the kind of troubles you’d expect to see upon the road, but we thought nothing of it, save that they were closer to the city than we had ever seen them. Van has—had a friend in the City Guard, so he intended to reach out to him on our return, and put the word out that it may be a good idea to hire some of the idle swords in town and put them to use clearing the roads, instead of getting involved in politics.”

“Unfortunately, things did not go so easily for us. The attacks became more numerous as we advanced along the road, and, despite our best efforts, we began taking casualties. Two days from here, where the road to Chantresville splits from the road to the Moonwood, we encountered a group of trolls, which were waiting in ambush. They threw themselves at our wagons, and, even though we had fire to hand, we were hard pressed. I had six men with me, as well as this one’s son in the other wagon, and, when it was over, they were all dead, and the wagons destroyed beyond repair. I made a promise to the boy that I’d get his father back to safety. ‘Twas the least I could do, given that he fought as hard as any of my men, and took down the last of the trolls in the end.”

I nodded, and said, “Well, we’ve passed no monsters on our way from the gate, but it has been daylight traveling. My sympathies for the loss of your men. May they find the feasthalls of Tempus, God of Battles, open to them, for they will surely have tales to tell. And may you move with the wind, and Auril’s breath in the face of your foes.”

The swordsman nodded slowly. “And may the gods smile upon your venture, whatever it may be, and find you all arriving safely to Moonwater. I don’t doubt you will face trouble between here and there, but I’m afraid there is little I can do to aid you, in my current position. But, if you reach Moonwater, there is an old soldier, who retired from the army and became leader of the local guard there. Captain Aldeth Sweetling is a tough old bird, but she’s fair, and doesn’t discriminate based on… affiliation, as some might. Tell her that Sergeant Jackson sent you, and mayhap she’ll be able to aid you some, with whatever your job is that way, even if it is no more than finding a roof to put over your heads, and meat for your bellies.”

I nodded in return. Having an ‘in’ with the local captain of the guard was a positive step. Even if it was little more than just a ‘maybe she might help you’, that was still better than we had before. I smiled at the man, and said, “Then go, and Auril’s favor see you swiftly to the city walls. Any remaining monsters upon the road will be swiftly regretting their choice to venture too close to us, I promise you.”

With that, we parted ways, the two travelers hurrying on to try and make it closer to the safety of the city before nightfall, while we turned our attention to the road ahead, hoping to make as much progress as we could before we needed to make camp for the night. The mood, which had been jovial before, now turned uneasy. Each of us was wondering what horrors had been driven out of the Moonwood. Because the stronger the monsters we faced along the road were, that meant something stronger still was awaiting us at our destination.

Siora and Vestele shared a glance, and the Beguiler said, “Well, given that we are finally away from prying eyes and ears, and we may soon be coming to a situation where we’d need know all of each other’s abilities, I think it best that we allow the two of you to know another of our secrets, one relevant to the matter of surviving conflict with hostile men and monsters.”

The twin sisters began to change before our eyes. Flesh shifted, and moved as though their bodies were clay being shaped by a craftsman, still wet and malleable upon the wheel. Their ears, already pointed as an elf’s should be, grew, and became batlike in shape. A long, sinuous tail that ended in a point almost like an arrowhead grew from the base of their spines. Their skin changed, becoming a crimson shade, almost like blood. Batlike wings sprouted from their shoulder blades, through purpose-made slits in their clothes and armor. Perhaps most troubling of all, though, were their eyes, which went from an emerald green to a glowing, fiery red.

Melinda’s Spellcraft Roll: 1d20+7 = 24 (Success)

I took a breath as I watched the change. This was no ordinary illusion falling away, as far as I could tell. It was unsettling, to be sure, but they did not appear to get any more powerful. At least, there was nothing that I felt which made them seem… more than they had been. With a nod, I said, “From what I can tell, that was some kind of Alter Self effect being used. Is this your natural form, then?”

Vestele nodded. “Yes, it is. In the past, House Greenhome and others began to treat with creatures of the lower planes in a bid for power. They got too greedy, and moved too quickly, but not all of their scions were lost when the nobles were purged. Some, like our House Faydark slipped into the shadows, and continued our ways, as the blood of demons became intertwined with ours. We are of the Fey’ri, as we are known, elven descendants touched with the blood of the abyss, like tieflings are to humans.”

I nodded. “All right, then. I don’t blame you for hiding your features, especially with all the religious types in Northport. Personally, I don’t care either way about your heritage, save that it sounds like you have abilities that may prove useful in our work. I do have one question, though. Are you two really twins, or do you just use your magic to make yourselves look like that?”

Siora laughed, and as she did, her body began changing again, returning to the form I was familiar with. “Oh, yes, we really are twins, and have looked like the mirror image of each other since we were born. We could use our magic to make ourselves look different, but that isn’t nearly as much fun, you know?”

Frostmane chuffed. “I don’t care which form you take. Though that does explain why you didn’t smell like any of the elves I’ve scented before.”

Vestele returned to her elven guise, as well, and smiled. “Yes, but suffice to say both Siora and I have abilities that normal elves may not have, which should prove beneficial in the future. I have some abilities which are more defensive in nature, while Siora has ones that grant her some spell-like abilities which extend the amount of work she can do bewitching her enemies.”

I nodded as I lazily flew next to the two women on their horses. “Let’s continue on for a while, and then find a good place to set camp for the night. Frostmane and I already have food prepared for us thanks to magic items, and I believe you said the same?”

Siora grinned. “Yes, I’m sure we have the same items as you do, in that regard. Not very tasty, but beats the hell out of going hungry because you came to the end of your rations while you’re between villages. I know that rangers and druids have skills that allow them to feed their party while on the march, without slowing to hunt for meat, but the ones who don’t get hung up on the silly talk of ‘good’ and ‘evil’ are rare, and those that do move past that point are seldom found in cities.”

Melinda’s Knowledge (Arcana) check: 1d20+7 = 24

Vestele’s Knowledge (Arcana) check: 1d20+8 = 22

Siora’s Knowledge (Arcana) check: 1d20+11 = 24

As we traveled, we noticed the vultures and other scavengers feasting on the flesh of dead monsters, and more than one human, as Sergeant Jackson hinted that we would find. There was quite the mix of monsters as we traveled. Some were simple things, like rabid dogs, or a pair of goblins, and the like. But there were more interesting finds, as well, such as when we stumbled across the remains of an armless, bipedal… thing, with a spout-like opening on its head, with what looked like tendrils coming off the lower part of it. Some kind of abomination, clearly, but there were enough clues, despite it being hacked apart by blades and ravaged by scavengers, for us to recognize the creature as a Digester. A nasty creature that likes to spray its digestive fluid at creatures so they start dissolving from the acid and the thing can simply slurp them up. Clearly, this is one of the down sides to having magic in a world. It results in magical creatures like this… thing.

Thankfully, it was dead, and for some time. Still, where there was one, there may be more, and it seemed foolish to tempt fate by lingering next to the half-eaten corpse. Eventually, as night began to fall, we found a good place to make camp, at the lee side of a small hill. Evidently, we were not the first to think it a good camp site, as there was a well-dug firepit and signs that many wagons and travelers had stopped here over the years.

Still, we had the site to ourselves for the night. We set up our tents, and then sat down to a dinner of rations. Nothing special, but it filled the belly. We set watches throughout the night, and I claimed first watch, if only so I could keep more of my sleep time connected. Who knew what the next day would bring?