[SP-F5] Waltz of the Desert

[Morningstar 0]

Spoiler

Floor 5
<<The Traveler>>
Party Limit: 2 | 20+ Posts
Repeatable for standard thread rewards.

Quest Rewards:

• 500 Experience Points
• 500 col
• Unlock <<Survival>> Extra Skill

Requirements:

• Roleplay speaking to <<Zamek>>.
• <<Zamek>> moves slowly, so it will take considerable time to travel the five miles through the desert.
• Encounter bandits at least once, and roleplay the interactions.
• Find protection from a sudden sandstorm.
• Safely escort <<Zamek>> to the hiding spot.

Summary:

"Are you an adventurer?" You turn to see a man with a long, white beard and a slight hunch to his back. Despite being wrapped in a heavy wool cloak, unusual given the floor's hot climate, his entire body shakes. "I am terribly sorry to bother you, but I need help. I-" the NPC, whose name appears to be Zamek, coughs violently for a moment. After a few long, shaky breaths, he continues. "I have a treasure chest of sorts, buried in the desert, at the base of some uniquely shaped rocks. The contents are incredibly important to me, but I am too ill to make the journey alone. Would you escort me there? Though I cannot offer you much col.  But, should you offer your assistance, I would be eternally grateful."

Outline: 

See 'Requirements' above, and 'Enemies' below.
 

---

NPCs:

<<Zamek>>
A bearded old man in a heavy wool cloak.
Illness and age have both taken their toll; he is often out of breath, and coughs frequently.

---

Enemies:


<<Bandits>>
You must encounter the bandits once during your quest. You may deal with them however you see fit.
Should you decide to use combat, the interaction will be strictly roleplay, and use no stats/rolls. There will be no additional loot.

<<Sandstorm>>
An environmental effect.
Once in the desert, you lose 20 points of health every time you roll a 1 on your crafting die due to the wind and the sand.
Due to the sandstorm, all out of combat healing has been reduced to zero. 
If you manage to survive this quest and find the cargo, you will be gifted with the <<Survival>> extra skill.
 

---

Epilogue:

Spoiler

"Ah, here it is." The elderly man drops to his knees beside an impressive cluster of rocks. Despite his weakened state, he puts all the energy he has left into digging. Calloused hands trembling, breath coming in short gasps, he shoves sand aside until the top of a chest comes into view. The container is not large, nor is it ornate, but Zamek wheezes as he drags it into his lap. He slips a tiny key into the lock, turns it, then eases the lid back. All at once, a variety of emotions explode across his weathered face. Though he smiles, his dark eyes fill with tears as he lifts out a stack of letters. "These belonged to my late wife," he explains, "as did these." With his other hand, he shows you a pile of jewels. "Between the bandits that frequently raid our village, and our greedy family members, I knew my most valuable items would be taken from me. That's why I hid them."

He draws in a shaking breath, then cradles the handwritten notes to his chest. "But the years are passing," he explains, "and so I want my Dena with me as the end approaches." Zamek stares at his treasures, then glances up at you with a smile that is brighter than the desert sun. "Thank you. You've made an old man very happy."

 

Morningstar counted the heads of the people in his group. One. Two. Three. Four, including himself.

"Do you think this is enough?" he asked the one on the far left.

Katar pulled his fiery hair back into a ponytail. He was dressed in a red robe that looked uncomfortable in the fifth floor's dry weather. If it was, the man made no indication of it. At his waist was a silver and gold, dragon-hilted katana. Kraki Gazan, he recalled. Beast of Flames. He looked over the group as well as if judging their capabilities.

"Yeah, I don't see why not," Katar said. "The four of us should be able to take on anything down here. There's nothing worrisome that I know of."

"Alright then. What'll we do? A quest? A field boss? A dungeon, maybe?"

He looked at each of the players. Next to Katar stood a couple of his guildmates: Simon and Grace. He'd met Simon quite a few times but he didn't know Grace well. She'd been introduced to him once before when he and Joaquin had been reacquainted with each other in the Town of Beginnings. Simon was about fifteen, Morningstar thought. Give or take a few years, of course. He was short and had sandy brown hair. His weapon of choice was a dagger. Grace looked like Lexa. It was almost scary. Her hair was blonde and braided and he was thankful that the woman didn't carry a rapier. Instead, she wielded a spear. It stood taller than she did, standing at about five feet eight inches.

A voice called out from behind Morningstar. "Are you four adventurers?"

He turned around to see the visage of an old man. "Yes, can we help you?"

The man looked like he'd seen a ghost. His face was pale and his entire body shook as he tried to form words. "I am terribly sorry to bother you but yes, I do need help. I—"

Coughs came violently from his mouth. Morningstar rushed over to help the old man, placing a hand on his shoulder. He gazed up at Katar, whose expression was just as worried as his own. The old man's breathing was shallow and weak. He wasn't okay. When he was able to catch his breath, he spoke again.

"I have a treasure chest of sorts, buried in the desert, at the base of some uniquely shaped rocks. The contents are incredibly important to me, but I am too ill to make the journey alone," he began, "Would you escort me there? I cannot offer you much but I would be eternally grateful."

A notification box appeared in front of Morningstar. It took him by surprise. He made eye contact with Katar and then with the rest of the party. They all nodded.

"We'll help you," Morningstar said, touching the accept button with his index finger.

Spoiler

Morningstar | Lv. 19 | HP: 380/380 | EN: 56/56 | DMG: 17 | ACC: 4 | MIT: 29

Gear:

• Beginner's Straight Sword | Uncommon
  +1 DMG
• Beginner's Light Armor | Uncommon
  +9 MIT
• Lexa's Light | Perfect
  +3 ACC

Battle Ready:

• 5x T1 Health Potion (heals 5% of max HP)

Skills:

• Two-Handed Straight Sword | Rank 5 | Precision | Stamina | Ferocity
  +9 DMG
  +1 ACC
  -2 ENG per attack
• Light Armor | Rank 4
  +20 MIT
  -2 Stealth
• Searching | Rank 5
  +5 LD
  +5 Stealth Detection

Combat Mastery:

• Damage
  +6 DMG

Combat Shift:

• TECH Specialist
  +4 to multipliers
  +3 to ENG cost

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Five miles into an unforgiving sandstorm. Joaquin had done this quest weeks before. Morningstar remembered his friend mentioning it but he had not asked about the contents. Through his almost constant coughing and wheezing, Zamek explained the situation. The dunes of the fifth floor were more dangerous than they could possibly know, Zamek told them. He believed they should give the desert more credit, for there were more than simple creatures living there.

There were true monsters.

Morningstar shifted his weight between his feet as they stood in front of Fortaleza's main gate. The walls of the safezone were the only thing keeping the deadly sandstorm out. Sandstone bricks towered up into the sky and guards kept post at all times. Katar placed a hand on Morningstar's shoulder.

"I'm sure we'll be fine. Joaquin just did this a while back, didn't he? It worked out for him, right?"

Actually, Joaquin hadn't talked about the quest at all after he'd finished it. Even when they met up, he avoided the subject. "Yeah, right." Morningstar gave in, agreeing.

As the party leader, Morningstar was given the opportunity to begin the quest. He turned to his crew, his expression serious. "I know we talked about there being nothing worrisome out there earlier but stay on guard. We don't really know what's out there," his gaze turned to Zamek, who was coughing to his left.

The NPC's words rang in his ear. True monsters. What did it mean?

"Make sure you're geared up. We'll leave once everyone's ready to go."

[Morningstar 0]

At his waist sat his two-handed straight sword. After years, he still hadn't upgraded it. He told himself he wouldn't until he could craft one himself.

Morningstar gazed out into the sandstorm. Katar stood next to him. In the back, Grace and Simon made sure Zamek was okay. The old man pulled his cloak over his head. "If you have cloaks, you all may want to do the same."

They obliged, each of them pulling up the hoods of their cloaks and robes. Morningstar was the first to step out of the safezone. Katar and the others followed shortly after. The quest had begun. The wind whipped up a volley of dust and sand. It was hard enough for Morningstar to move; he couldn't imagine what Zamek was experiencing.

Periodically, Morningstar would look behind him to ensure that the party was still following behind him. Katar pushed forwards until he was beside him.

"These five miles... they'll take a while with Zamek with us. We may need to stop somewhere along the way and take shelter."

Morningstar nodded. He'd thought the same thing already. A town along the way was unlikely, if not impossible. Perhaps a large rock or a cave—something they could hide in or under.

"We'll try to find something when we can. Around half way, hopefully, if we can make it that long."

Spoiler

ID: 206457 CD: 12
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 19, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the sand shift to his right. It was distant but he knew it wasn't his imagination. He stopped in his tracks and raised his arm, telling his party to do the same. His grip tightened around the hilt of his sheathed straight sword. Something was moving beneath the sand.

"What is it?" Katar called from the center of the group. 

"Shh," Morningstar hushed.

He waited to withdraw his blade. Perhaps whatever it was would keep moving and leave them be. Suddenly, more sand moved in front of them. The creature that swam through the sand was serpent-like in its movements. There was only one thing that it could be.

The ground in front of them exploded upwards into a volcano of sand and salt crystals. The party stepped back in shock, covering their faces with their arms. The length of the creature was unlike anything they had seen before. It was a behemoth; it was a leviathan; it was a—

"Saltworm!" Zamek shouted.

Spoiler

Morningstar | HP: 380/380 | EN: 56/56 | DMG: 17 | ACC: 4 | MIT: 29

Saltworm | HP: 228/228 | DMG: 76

 

Spoiler

ID: 206458 CD: 12
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

The saltworm shot up from beneath them, spraying sand particles at the party. He heard Grace shout for Zamek and Simon to get back. Katar hesitated. He must have been surprised by the sight of the beast. Normally, Katar would have been the first to react, swinging his sword and cutting down the enemy.

But he didn't. He stood there, eyes wide as he gazed up at the saltworm from below.

Morningstar ripped his blade out of its sheath. A blinding golden glow came over the straight sword like a light in the dark. The hood of his green cloak fell down as he leaped towards the giant worm. As he propelled himself into the air, a wave of sand blew behind him, hitting the legs of the players with him. With a single powerful swing, he slashed through the middle of the worm, freeing its top half from its bottom. It fell to the ground. The sand nullified most of the sound that should have come from the landing. Then, it shattered into blue pixels.

The blonde landed on his feet gracefully and slid his blade back into the sheath on his waist.

Spoiler

ID: 206460 BD: 3+4=7
TECH-B Activated! 17*16=272 DMG

Morningstar | HP: 380/380 | EN: 41/56 | DMG: 17 | ACC: 4 | MIT: 29

Saltworm | HP: 0/228 | DMG: 76

 

Spoiler

ID: 206459 CD: 5
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

A notification popped up in front of Morningstar. His rewards. He read them out to himself. A bunch of Col, some materials, and a rare trinket. It was nothing special but still, more than he had before.

He turned to his group. "Is everyone okay?"

On the surface, the party appeared unscathed. He looked at Katar. The man's brows furrowed and his lips formed a frown. He was frustrated with himself. Morningstar waved him over and then returned his attention to the group. "Let's keep going. Watch for more, though."

Katar moved from the middle to the front, next to Star. "Everything okay?" Morningstar asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I don't know what came over me back there, that's all."

"Don't be too hard on yourself, alright? I know you well enough to know that you're not usually like that. So do they," he gestured behind them.

"Thanks, Star," Katar withdrew to his spot in the formation once more.

Spoiler

ID: 206461 LD: 4+5=9

Morningstar | HP: 380/380 | EN: 42/56 | DMG: 17 | ACC: 4 | MIT: 29

Saltworm | HP: 0/228 | DMG: 76

Rewards:

• 1,368 Col
• 2 Materials
• 1 T2 Rare Trinket

 

Spoiler

ID: 206462 CD: 12
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"Please, let me speak with the one in the front," Zamek said to Grace.

Morningstar stopped and turned around, noticing that Katar had done the same. To prevent Zamek from overexerting himself, Morningstar came to him.

"Are you okay?" He asked, worried that they'd have to rest so soon.

"Yes, it's not about me. Have you noticed?"

Immediately, Morningstar went on alert. He scanned their surroundings carefully, catching the glimpse of cloth dropping behind distant sand dunes.

"Noticed what?" Simon asked, looking around.

Katar must have seen the same thing as Morningstar judging by his next words. "We shouldn't stay put for too long. Let's go."

Morningstar nodded. "We're being followed."

Simon and Grace treaded along behind, keeping Zamek moving at a steady pace. Whoever it was that was stalking them must have had a motive. Morningstar concluded that it was the treasure that they were after. That was the whole point of the quest. Were they players or NPCs, though? Would it make sense for a player to camp out here just for some quest rewards?

Spoiler

ID: 206465 CD: 11
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

All of his questions were answered in an instant. From the sandstorm came three cloaked figures. Each of them carried a tall spear, similar in height to Grace's weapon. They were wooden, however, with metal tips at the end. A lot less flashy then the blonde girl's.

"What brings you through our desert, travelers?" The man in the middle spoke.

Zamek coughed. "Our business is our own."

The man peered at Zamek through a thin slot in his hood. "Is that so? In that case, be wary of the sands here. They can be dangerous."

He couldn't see it but he was sure that the man smirked when he said that. The strange, cloaked men retreated back into the sandstorm. Something told Morningstar that they were related to whoever it was that was following them. They hadn't seen the last of them.

"What was that all about?" Katar asked. "I honestly thought they'd try to rob us or something."

"There's still time," Morningstar chuckled. "Like he said: be wary of the sands."

Spoiler

ID: 206466 CD: 2
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 20, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"You guys okay back there?" Morningstar called.

He'd lost track of time. How long had they been walking for? It felt like hours but he couldn't be sure. He couldn't even recall when they'd started the quest. A swish of his wrist opened his menu. The clock in the corner told him it was 7:37 PM. Night would fall soon enough and they'd be left in the desert in the dark.

"Grace and I are okay but Zamek..." Simon hestitated, looking at the old man. "He could use a break."

Morningstar sighed. The time had finally come for them to stop and rest, it seemed. But where? There was no obvious shelter nearby. Katar let out an exclamation that brought relief to the group.

"There! I think that's a village in the distance," Katar said, pointing to the left of the group.

He was right. Morningstar hadn't noticed it at first but if he stared hard enough, he could see it through the shroud of the sandstorm.

"We'll stop there for a little while," Star began, "but we can't be too long. It'll be night soon and I don't really want to fight those worms in the dark."

The party nodded in agreement.

Spoiler

ID: 206531 CD: 2
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Grace and Simon chatted quietly from the back of the party. Morningstar wasn't really listening but he caught the words "hungry" and "tired" at some point.

"If you guys are hungry, I did bring some dinner for us," he told the group, "I brought extra, actually, so Zamek can have some as well."

"Thank you, adventurer. You and your group have been kind to me. You have my gratitude," Zamek said, wheezing in between sentences.

The sandstorm was beginning to pickup. "Damn," Katar winced, shielding his face with his arms, "as if this storm wasn't bad enough."

"It'll only get worse from here, too," Morningstar returned.

They pushed through nonetheless. The village was clearly visible now and every step the group took brought more and more comfort to them. Something was off about the place, though. Why hadn't he heard of a town out here before? It wasn't on his map.

Not only that but some bricks appeared to have crumbled off of one of the guard towers. Even through the sandstorm, he could see that the town had taken severe damage. The front gate was blocked off by rubble and there was an abundance of cracks in the walls.

It wasn't a safezone.

Spoiler

ID: 206532 CD: 11
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 21, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"Only one of these buildings still has a roof. Not to mention sturdy walls," Katar said.

"If you call these sturdy," Simon returned, a brick crumbling as he tapped his knuckles on a wall.

Morningstar peeked inside the safest building, the one that Katar had mentioned. It was quiet inside as if the sandstorm didn't exist there. It seemed safe enough, he thought. At the very least, he felt confident that they could rest without being eaten by a giant toothed worm. He swung around, widening the door to let the motley crew inside. The walls were brown and dull. There were cracks on every surface. The tiny rock house lacked windows, as well. It was probably for the best; he would not feel comfortable with something outside seeing them. There wasn't even a table or any chairs for them to use. They all took seats around the single-room house, finally able to take a break.

"How much longer do you think? Until we get to the treasure, I mean," Grace asked Zamek.

Zamek, coughing, responded eagerly. "Not long at all, I don't think. I'd say we're over halfway there."

The group smiled in unison at the idea of finishing the quest. Morningstar opened his inventory, withdrawing their meals.

Spoiler

ID: 207119 CD: 4
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 25, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

"As I said, I've come prepared," Morningstar revealed five wraps filled with chicken and vegetables as well as an apple each.

"I'm starving," Simon said, scooching over from his corner to take his portion of the food.

Morningstar handed out food to each of the crew members before taking his own. He withdrew the wrap from the parchment that covered it and took a bite. Judging by Simon's face, he was enjoying it the most. The poor kid hadn't eaten since morning. Even Zamek seemed to like the food. The idea of NPCs still perplexed the blonde. They seemed just like regular people to him, aside from the "fantasy personalities" they so often had. The only time he'd heard the word "alas" used in a sentence was while talking to an NPC. Their relationship with food was a newfound interest to him. This was the first time he had ever seen one eat before.

Katar interrupted his thoughts with a question.

"How long do we intend on hiding out here?" The man asked, impatience lingering on the furrow of his brow.

"The sandstorm's only gotten worse. We'll stay until it calms down and then we'll head out again," Morningstar replied.

[Morningstar 0]

Katar didn't respond verbally. Instead, he finished off his wrap and picked up the apple, moving towards the door. There was a tiny hole in it that Morningstar had noticed upon entering. It was low, towards the bottom of the door. Katar knelt down to stare through it. He sat there for about thirty seconds before looking back at the blonde. His impatience had turned to worry, for some reason.

"I swear I just saw something out there," Katar said.

"What? Where?" Simon asked, sitting up to take a look through the hole.

Grace pulled him back down, shaking her head. Morningstar looked at the pair. She was like an older sister to the boy; he would always listen to her. He held a lot of respect for the woman. She came off to him as unconfident but he thought she was mature and intelligent. If there was something out there, then it was best for Simon to sit back.

Katar slid down the wall, coming to a seated position on the floor. "I just saw a glimpse of something by one of the buildings. Could be nothing, I guess."

"Or bandits again," Simon added.

"Yeah," Katar kept his blade close as if expecting a fight.

"If it's them," Morningstar began, "they probably don't know we're in here. They would have shown themselves already."

"You think so?" Katar asked.

Morningstar shrugged. "The outnumber us. There's little risk, at least from their perspective."

A slam echoed throughout the ruins, causing the party to freeze. Nobody moved a muscle, waiting for more noise to be made, but nothing came. It convinced Morningstar that something was outside, searching for them. He put a finger to his mouth, telling his friends to stay silent. Then, he moved towards the door.

[Morningstar 0]

He peered out the small hole. There were three bandits standing in the path leading up to the house. They appeared to be speaking to each other but he couldn't tell what they were saying. Their faces were covered, like the previous men they'd encountered. Morningstar ducked away, avoiding the chance of being spotted.

"Yeah, you were right. Bandits."

"Well, what do we do?" Katar asked, accidentally raising his voice. Realizing his mistake, he toned down. "Should we wait for them to come to us?"

"Honestly, I think we should talk to them," Morningstar returned.

"Talk?" Katar said, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Yeah. Maybe they'll leave us alone if we can convince them to."

"Leave us alone? Really, Star?"

Morningstar scoffed back in disbelief. "What, should we just go out there and kill them then? They haven't done anything wrong."

"They threatened us once already! I can't imagine they're here for more formalities!" Katar said in a hushed exclamation.

Morningstar didn't reply. No one did. Their attention was stuck on the door handle that had started to rattle.

[Morningstar 0]

With some effort, the door swung open. A shrouded figure stepped inside and without hesitation, Katar unsheathed his katana. The horizontal arc made by the man's blade shocked the bandit, causing him to duck outside. The NPC called out for backup and two more bandits revealed themselves, weapons in hand. Katar dashed outside, giving no chances for the bandit to escape. His Kraki Gazan met the bandit's silver curved sword, clashing on impact.

"Shit!" Morningstar exclaimed furiously, withdrawing his own blade.

Simon and Grace did the same, asking Zamek to stay put. They stepped outside, following in Morningstar's careful footsteps. The other two bandits carried spears but didn't move up to attack quite yet. Star wondered what they were waiting for. Their comrade had been engaged on already, so why the hesitation? They outnumbered the bandits, he supposed. But still, it was unlike an aggressive NPC to wait like that.  He took a step forwards, prepared to help Katar with the patient backline. His grip on his straight sword tightened with each stride.

But then, suddenly, it relaxed. The sword made a thump in the sand as it landed. He tried to speak, but his lips wouldn't move. His entire body went stiff and he heard Grace cry out. What was happening? He tried turning around to look but he couldn't. He felt a dull poking sensation in his upper back.

I've been stabbed, he thought. The paralysis from whatever blade had been stuck in him took control, leaving him a helpless spectator. He fell to the ground, unable to hold himself upright any longer. His face lay sideways; all he could see was sand and the crumbling ruins.

Then, a body fell limply beside him. Blonde locks covering her fear-stricken face, Grace tried to reach out to Morningstar. His eyes darted up to a shape moving towards her. The bandit stepped overtop of the girl, taking hold of the shaft of the spear stuck in her back and pushing it in deeper.

Morningstar tried to scream for Katar but nothing came out. Blue shards merged with the speed of the sandstorm and drifted away.

Spoiler

ID: 207447 CD: 2
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Seconds turned to minutes and those minutes felt like an eternity. The sandstorm had begun to cover Morningstar's body as he lay there, unmoving. Even his brain had slowed down as the panic had left them. One question still lingered, however: Why was he still alive? If they had killed Grace, then why leave him there? Was Katar still holding them off?

The clashing of blades answered his last question. It was hard to hear with the intensity of the sandstorm, but somebody was still fighting. A twitch in his left foot told him that the paralysis was wearing off. He struggled but even as it subsided, it was hard to move. His weak fingers dug into the sand as he searched for his blade. It was buried in the sand just like he would have been if any more time had passed. He bumped something hard with his hand and wrapped his grip around it once again. Then, regaining control of his body, he pushed himself up.

Now on his feet, he quickly took hold of the situation. Katar had been pushed off to the side, knocked down by one of the bandits. The rest of them had shifted their attention to the now-armed Morningstar. Why were there seven opponents now? He did a quick one-eighty to look behind him. Had some been hiding on the roof?

More importantly, where was Simon?

There was a pull at the man's heart as he realized that the worst had happened. The sadness did not last, however; it swiftly turned to rage. His sword became golden, the light piercing through the sandstorm in a blinding manner. He spun around, lunging at the enemies and slashing through them with one heavy swing.

The commotion caused the final bandit to turn his head. Katar used that to his advantage, picking up his katana and stabbing it through the NPC's chest.

Spoiler

ID: 207452 CD: 10
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar's breathing was heavy. His entire body was. Whatever motivation or spirit he'd had when they'd begun their journey into the desert had left at the sight of Grace's body hitting the soft sand. He couldn't even look at Katar, who was still leaning against a nearby building. Zamek peered out from the safety of the house. He approached Morningstar slowly, placing a hand on the blonde's shoulder. He turned his attention to the old man and they shared a defeated look.

Katar slammed his fist into the wall, leaving behind dozens of cracks. Morningstar glared in the man's direction. "Why did you rush out like that? I said we should talk—"

"Talk?" Katar shouted, his eyes as fiery as his hair. "And then what? Should we put on a pot of tea for them too? Do you think talking would have changed anything? They were aggressive from the beginning!"

Morningstar shook his head. They weren't, he thought. "We could have at least made a plan."

Katar forced himself up and pointed Kraki Gazan at Morningstar. "And where were you? Why weren't you there to help?"

I was stunned. I didn't know they were on the roof. How could I have known that?

He looked down, remembering the stabbing sensation in his back. There was a small dagger still sticking out. He pulled it out, red pixels trailing behind it. When he looked back up, Katar had taken a teleport crystal from his inventory. Then, he disappeared.

Spoiler

ID: 207453 CD: 7
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Katar was gone. The party of five had been reduced to two. Morningstar looked to Zamek. "I'll finish your quest," he said wistfully.

The old man nodded and they stepped back through the hole in the wall, leading them into the heart of the sandstorm. Another mile into the desert was all it would take, he thought. His steps were slower and weaker now. Zamek's coughs and the powerful winds were the only things filling the blonde's head now. He hadn't felt a pain like this in a long time.

He gripped the angel wing pendant in his fist and with the other hand pulled his hood back over his face. "I'm sorry, Lex," he muttered, blocked out by the sounds of the sandstorm, "I messed up again."

If only he'd been quicker, noticed the blade somehow. If only he'd taken precautions against paralysis or they'd left the comfort of the house sooner.

If only Katar hadn't been so reckless.

He stopped himself. Katar did what he thought was correct and Morningstar couldn't blame him for that. It was unfair. There was no way to know what would have happened if they'd stayed put in the house. Perhaps none of them would have lived. Perhaps there really was no other way out than to lose the lives of two friends.

Spoiler

ID: 207454 CD: 10
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Zamek nudged Morningstar's shoulder and pointed in the distance. "There," he said, "that is where my treasure is buried."

Morningstar nodded with a sad smile and they continued towards the spot. The rock formations were oddly skeletal. They were almost dragon-like in appearance, he thought. He could make out the head, if he tried hard enough, and a spine that connected to it. The spine was spiked with jagged rocks and curved around in the shape of a tail.

"This is it?" Morningstar asked.

They stood staring at the face of the beast. It almost looked like it was staring back. Zamek started digging a small hole in the sand with his foot. "Right here," the old man said.

Morningstar knelt down and began to dig with his hands as if he were a child at the beach. A shovel would have been a genius tool to bring on a quest like this but he hadn't been so smart. It took quite a bit of time, effort, and patience but eventually, he felt the wood of some sort of crate.

Spoiler

ID: 207456 CD: 6
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Morningstar

[Morningstar 0]

Morningstar reached into the hole and pulled out a treasure chest of sorts.

"Ah, here it is," The elderly man dropped to his knees in front of the skeletal rocks. His calloused hands trembled. His breaths came in short gasps. Despite that, he dusted off the top of the cargo. The container was not large, nor was it ornate, but Zamek wheezes as he drags it into his lap. He slipped a tiny key into the lock, turned it, then eased the lid back. All at once, a variety of emotions exploded across his weathered face. Though he smiled, his dark eyes fill with tears as he lifted out a stack of letters. 

"These belonged to my late wife," he explained, "as did these." 

With his other hand, he showed Morningstar a pile of jewels. "Between the bandits that frequently raided our village and our greedy family members, I knew my most valuable items would be taken from me. That's why I hid them."

He drew in a shaking breath, then cradled the handwritten notes to his chest. "But the years are passing," he explained, "and so I want my Dena with me as the end approaches." Zamek stared at his treasures, then glances up at you with a smile that is brighter than the desert sun. "Thank you. You've made an old man very happy."

Spoiler

ID: 207457 CD: 11
No damage was taken.

Morningstar | HP: 380/380

 

Edited March 27, 2022 by Morningstar