Arc 2 - Heart of a Monster (Completed)

[Rain Yupa]

Likely pulled jarringly from his standing position, Revenge would soon start walking in the general direction Kuori went in.

"Very well, but I have a bad feeling about this situation that I just can't quite place," he warned Abby, with a slight frown on his face. They were hopefully far enough removed from the site where they should have been able to withdraw without difficulty.  

[AlphabetFish]

Twyla felt that things had gotten a little too close back there with the guards, but she tried to put it out of her head. She'd maybe have to provide some supporting lies later, but... well, that was future Twyla's problem!

As the goliath rushed off, with the elf following, Twyla struggled to keep up. The idea that she'd just go to the inn and wait was something she'd rejected instantly. She'd miss all the fun!

"Hey," she puffed, rushing alongside, "I'm Twyla! Do you know this girl? Where are you taking her? Who is she? Who are you?" Twyla tried to keep her voice down, but her excitement shone through anyways.  

[Kowsauni]

"You don't have to tell me that twice." Abby agrees as she tugs on Revenge's arm with her surprising strength, hurrying him along. This turn of events seems to really have gotten her worried.

As Kuori rushes down the street towards Abby's shop with Petra in her arms, she gets several looks from tourists as she enters the main street. Once again, their looks don't seem to be anything other than mild curiosity but her presence with Petra is definitely noticed. Kuori also realizes she is being followed by the elf from before, as well as Revenge and Abby. The gnome seems to be following as well, but her short legs are causing her to fall behind.

If Kuori stops and waits in front of Abby's shop, Abby will get the hint and unlock the front door and usher everyone inside.

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As Valac casually strolls down the street towards the Red Lion Inn, he will periodically see guards poking about, searching for the creature he knows they will not find. Once he arrives at the Inn, he will arrive just in time to catch the tail end of the lunch buffet they have been serving. A well dressed dwarf at the front desk asks if he would like to join in the feast, and indeed there is quite a display of food before the Tiefling. Valac knows the Red Lion is one of the fanciest inns in town, well known for its young, attractive staff and meeting the requests of more eccentric patrons.  

[Mongooseh]

Looking around at the feast Valac was somewhat glad he got there just in time to catch the arse end of the feast.

"Yeah, sure just don't place anything green in front of me. How much is it to join this feast?" Said Valac giving his coin pouch a feel to judge whether or not he could afford it.  

[PupSage]

Once inside the shop Kuori would place Petra on the floor, "Looks like we made it." She would turn around and look at Revenge, "I was wondering where you had ran off to." Then she looked to the door to see if the elf and gnome were going to come in. She really didn't want to explain everything to them.  

[Lavander42]

Lavander's standing there. "Alright. We're back here. Now can you explain what's going on?"  

[AlphabetFish]

Huffing and puffing, Twyla came in last. "You long-legged people are wearing me out," she gasped. She shut the door behind them, repositioning the "closed" sign as she did so.

"Why're we back at the shop, though? Ms. Goliath, why'd you come here?" She looked quizzically at her employer. "Abby... do you know Petra? And, hey! That's the guy from earlier! What's he got to do with anything? What do you guys all know that I don't??"

A grin spread across Twyla's face as she realized things were about to get more interesting. "Oh, tell me, tell me, and don't spare any details!!"  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge would turn and watch Twyla lock the door, mulling over the questions she and Lavander had just poised.

Gauging the young girl's probably very noticeable nervousness and fright, Revenge would forgo any answers for the moment. Moving toward her, he would kneel before her to make sure he didn't tower over her. Not moving to touch her, he simply rested both hands on his raised knee. "Petra, is it? I grew up with a Petra, she lived two houses down from me. She was far braver than I ever was, growing up. I've always associated that name with bravery and courage, because of her."

He would offer her a gentle smile, before asking a question of his own. "Have you been hurt, Petra?"  

[Kowsauni]

Abby's Boutique

A place for the strange and wondrous!

Image by wwsketch.

Petra would blush slightly out of embarrassment as Revenge addresses her. She nervously looks up at Abby, who nods reassuringly. "It's all right, Petra. They're friends. Tell us what happened."

Petra lets out a sigh and begins to tale her tale in a shaky voice. "I'm okay. I... I was in our house hiding behind the wall illusion on the second floor as I'm supposed to when Abby isn't home. Then I heard someone come inside. T-the footsteps were too heavy to be Abby's, and then there was more than one so I got super quiet. But... but it didn't work. He saw right through the illusion--and dispelled it!" Petra's are emotions beginning to get more worked up as she talks. "He... he looked so scary and he had a dagger! I-I... I lost control! Then... then I heard a yell from downstairs. Someone saw that I... I had turned him to stone. I knew I had to leave and hide, but there were so many people about. I managed to get to that other house and tried to hide there, but then I was found by those armed men. They had weapons drawn and looked so intimidating. I... I realize now they were just town guards, but at that moment. I... I...,I-I thought they were Arian soldiers coming to get me, so I turned them to stone, too!"

At this point Petra breaks down and runs to Abby, burying her face in her chest as she begins to cry uncontrollably again. Through her sobs, she chokes out, "I'm so sorry, Abby. I screwed everything up. I was just so scared. Now I've ruined everything!"

Abby wraps her arms around Petra and coos to her comfortingly. "It's all right; it's not your fault. I should never have left you alone. We will set things right, I promise."

With Petra still sobbing on her, Abby turns to the rest of the group. She first looks at Kuori. "You are Revenge's companion, yes? I'm sure none of this will be news to you, but it's best we let everyone else know what they are getting into." Abby then turns to look at her husband sadly. "I'm sorry if this will be painful to hear again."

Abby then takes a deep breath and looks directly at Lavander and Twyla. Her usually cheerful face now looks deadly serious."The fact that you have already seen Petra puts your lives in danger, so you might as well know the full truth. Petra... and I as well... We were kidnapped and experimented on in a secret program ran by the Kingdom of Aria. We were subjected to painful experiments that mutated our bodies into those of monsters. Many of the experiments perished or lost their minds, but we survived and, with the help of some of our fellow sisters, managed to escape. I am lucky enough to be able to disguise my true form with magic, but Petra is not. I had to keep her hidden from prying eyes. There are people from the Aria Kingdom who would do anything to get me and my fellow escaped sisters back and assure all knowledge of this program remains a secret. I'm afraid all your lives are at risk now if they learn you have any knowledge of us."

Abby then smiles weakly at her employees. "You didn't think I hired adventurers just to decorate my shop, did you? I figured I might end up needing your help--and now I believe I have a task for you that is now more grave than before."

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Back in the Red Lion, the neatly dressed dwarf responds to Valec. "That'll be 25 silver to join in on the buffet. It is worth it, I assure you."  

[Lavander42]

Lavander sighs and says "Joy"  

[Mongooseh]

Valac fetched three gold pieces from his pouch and handed them over to the dwarf casually, commenting "Just use the change to bring me some ale or something."

Then he walked over to where the feast is and begun participating in a wolfish and bestial manner.  

[Rain Yupa]

Turning his head aside, Abby would not see his frown when she described hers and Petra's situation.

"Speaking of which..." he started when she finished, "Wasn't there another? I saw another Tiefling. Was I mistaken that he was part of your entourage?" he would ask, looking over his shoulder back at Abby. He would quickly make eye contact with Lavander and Twyla as well, since he had seen him earlier with the two of them.  

[AlphabetFish]

Twyla followed the whole story with bated breath and wide eyes, wiping away a tear at the sad parts. "Oh wow, oh wow," she gasped at the end. "You guys've been through so much! Don't worry! Though the task be grave, your workers are brave!"

She broke off and looked at the paladin--Revenge? Weird name, probably a story there--and the goliath. "Oh, and these guys, too. Yeah! Together we can make a super big difference!"

Twyla was already seeing in her head the heroic deeds that she and her companions would soon undertake when she heard Revenge ask about Valac. "Oh, I know the answer to this one! That's Valac the Indispensable, and he's definitely with us! Ms. Goliath told us to go back to the inn, and he's the only one who actually listened. Me and Lavander were just too curious, so we tagged along. We should go and get him, though--he's got a really big sword, and in my experience that's a good sort of person to have on your side."  

[Rain Yupa]

Revenge would nod to Twyla, then turned once more to Petra, seemingly studying her for a moment before standing. "When Kuori and I were in a town called Lupa, some Arian soldiers came looking for more refugees that were hiding out in the woods. I don't mean run-of-the-mill grunts either; they employed... five?... casters in the squad's ranks," he would explain, looking to Kuori for confirmation of the number.

"One fear I had coming to Gladesdale was that there would be similar soldiers from Aria here as well, as we were warned to expect. I was starting to think we had beat them here. But now it's looking less and less like that is the case. The fellow who found Petra sounds like he could have been Arian, since most town guards don't employ mages for generic patrols."

He would look to Abby now, though he spoke to the group. "My armor is back at the inn; it sounds like I might need it soon. I can go fetch Valac while I'm at it - which sounds like a good idea, if he's as indispensable as his name implies. Kuori, since you're a trained ranger, you'd probably be best figuring out with... Abby here, where the best place to lay low and avoid detection would be. I should be back before too long. Abby, you probably know the town's layout best so your knowledge with Kuori's experience should compliment one another nicely."

He would look to Lavander and Twyla. "I'm not sure where your talents lie. If you're willing to be part of this - and as Abby implied, it'll be safer for you if we all stick together - then I'm open to hear how you think you can best contribute right now. Keep in mind, that before the sun sets this day, we may be seeing combat."  

[Lavander42]

"I think we need to leave this town. Those guards, once un-petrified, can identify Petra, and if it is what you say, then these people know about her and thus this town is unsafe."