"Did you hear that?" Ru whispered, still in the darkness of the old musty shed with her friend and the townspeople.
"Sounded like a fight. I'd bet it's Feyre and the others kicking some ass," Magra smiled proudly, her voice sounding triumphant. "Jorvik," she turned, easily able to see the dwarf with her darkvision, "do you think traveling outside or through the tunnel would be best?"
Jorvik cleared his throat before responding, "I'd say the refugees stand a better chance in the tunnels since we don't know for sure what's waiting outside." Then after a pause, "If you're thinking about rejoining your group, I can lead everyone out through the mines."
Magra and Ru looked at each other before nodding and accepting Jorvik's offer. Once the two saw Jorvik lead the last of the refugees into the tunnel, they carefully opened the shed's red door to peak their heads out. Smoke from the city's fires filled their nostrils as it billowed into the sky. The hammering from the forges and shouting that had reverberated through the streets had stopped, leaving the city eerily quiet save for the sound of stray footsteps and the jingle of equipment in the distance.
Magra opened the door more slowly than she was accustomed to before the two comrades skulked into the street and headed for the south gate. Leaning against the wall by the gate was a lone figure standing amidst several dead bodies considerably larger than him. As the two got closer, they were relieved to see it was none other than Jerome and rushed towards him. Despite being covered in blood, he didn't appear to be gravely injured.
"Don't worry," he said as they approached, "most of the blood is theirs." He gestured to the bodies, his other hand holding onto his Warhammer like cane. "I made my way over here and hid so I could take out the ones that tried to leave. However," he grimaced, "there were some that were above my paygrade, especially this one strong looking woman who I saw giving orders." He looked down and scratched the back of his head, not noticing Magra and Ru exchange concerned glances. "Well, I'm gonna head to the tavern and pour myself a tall drink."
While Jerome staggered off the pile of bodies, Magra asked, "You didn't happen to see our friends, did you?"
The old dwarf looked at her quizzically. "I have no idea what your friends look like, but I didn't see anyone heading this way, just the orcs leaving. Although I did hear quite the skirmish outside the wall thataways." He pointed toward the forest beyond the wall, somewhat in the direction of where Haven's Blade had setup camp.
As Magra and Ru started jogging toward their camp, Ru shouted over her shoulder to Jerome, "Make that drink a double!"
◊◊◊
As they ran between the forest and the city's south wall, Magra and Ru could hear hundreds of footsteps in the distance and felt tremors through the ground getting stronger.
"Sounds like Everlit's army just missed all the fun," Magra said disappointedly.
Ru tried to cheer her up. "But that means Jacob is almost here," she said jokingly, elbowing the air towards Magra's ribs.
The half-orc took the bait and the corner of her mouth turned upwards. "Let's go see our guys. I wanna leave Jacob wanting more."
After a few minutes, the two spotted Feyre hovering above Skamos who was kneeling down. Cutting through the bushes, they quickly noticed several motionless figures on the ground as Feyre flew over to one.
"Aeldevan!" Ru cried as she raced over to his unconscious body. She slapped him gently on the face to try and wake him without causing any more harm.
Skamos abruptly shooed her away. "I already tried that. We were able to stabilize him, but we don't have a way to heal him right now."
In a carefree voice, Feyre shouted, "We've got a prisoner of war!" She stood atop one of the larger orcs Magra had remembered seeing guard the great hall. Pushing her feet into his back, the gnome pulled taught a rope she used to bind his wrists.
"Yeah little buddy!" Magra gave her friend a high five that nearly knocked the rogue over.
More concerned about Aeldevan, Ru suggested they go bring him to Olorin. "Even if he can't help, I'm sure there's a healer with the army."
"I'll go get our heard to help carry everyone," Feyre offered as she flew towards their camp.
"Everyone?" Ru asked, looking around at the other bodies. Skamos stood up and explained that they left one of the orcs alive to interrogate him and would bring him back into town. Magra quietly put her axe away that she was holding above her head, about to connect it with the prisoner's neck.
While they were waiting, Ru figured she would start looting the bodies. As she reached her hand towards one of them, she was startled by a high-pitched shout.
"Heyah! Get away from there!" Feyre's face was cross as she rode Dilliah straight for Ru, who quickly backed away in surprise. "Skamos and I get first dibs since we fought these guys." She hopped off her stead and grabbed each of the orc's tusks in her hands. A loud crack sounded as she ripped them right out of his mouth and looked at her new trophies proudly. She packed them away before taking the orc's money pouch, bouncing its heft in her palm.
Skamos went to one of the shirtless attackers and felt deceived when he picked what he thought was a pouch of money. "What the heck! This is just a pouch full of dirt." He dropped the bag on the ground, causing a small pinch of dust to escape. "Well since you have nothing else," he whispered to the deceased, "I'm going to take this." Standing up, he brandished his rapier and haphazardly cut around the orc's Gruumsh tattoo. As he wiped away the excess blood, some of the liquid landed in the dust from the pouch, instantly being absorbed and turning into a small pellet. The bard's eyes lit up again. "Cool! But also, gross." He picked the pouch back up and made sure to put it in a pocket separate from the rolled up filet of flesh. However, he decided to leave the piece of absorbed blood on the ground.
After waiting for her turn, Ru walked over to the last body and used a dagger to pop out one of its eyes that had a similar marking of Gruumsh as the tattoos she'd seen. Rifling through his pockets, she found a weighty coin purse as well. While Feyre and Skamos were talking with Magra, Ru snuck over to the orc that was still breathing and felt around his pockets. She found a small tin of thick ointment that was almost empty. She could tell it was medicinal from the smell of aloe, and the label confirmed it to have strong healing properties.
"Hey!" Skamos shouted when he noticed Ru. "Not fair."
Feyre flew over, noticeably upset. "What's the big idea? I'm the one who knocked him out and tied him up!"
"Well, maybe you should have checked his pockets while you were at it," Ru replied. Feyre huffed with fists on her hips.
Skamos coughed. "Also, it wasn't just you, seeing as how I scared him half to death." When he looked away to read the tin, Feyre stuck her tongue out at him.
"Regardless of who did what, you two were busy, and we need to get going," Ru concluded, standing and putting the tin in her pocket. Skamos looked at her confused, then glanced towards his partner. "Even though Aeldevan is hurt," she explained, "I think we should save the ointment for when we have no other option." Skamos and the others seemed satisfied with her reasoning.
"Alright," Magra spoke, "let's get the wagon packed and go meet up with the troops."
Once they got Aeldevan settled on some blankets in the cart, Ru put flowers around his face so he'd have something nice to wake up to. "I don't think that orc is going to fit in here," she commented.
After some thought, Magra brought over her camel. "Here, we can put him on Dante." Skamos helped her get the orc onto the dromedary and strapped him in tightly.
"I think I'll call you Joey for now," Ru said to the orc as she shoved a rock in his mouth to gag him. She felt a shiver at the unexpected excitement it brought her.
◊◊◊
The team hurried towards the approaching army but maintained vigilance as there could still be orcs lurking in the forest's shadows cast by the setting sun. The banner of Everlit was the first thing they saw cresting the incline of the road, its golden sigil of a rising star against a white background bordered in the same gold easily seen in the growing darkness. A human they hadn't met headed the army, accompanied by Olorin on a majestic white horse. Behind them was a rumbling cargo wagon full of barrels being pulled by two horses.
"Jacob!" Magra went into a sprint for the wagon, creating a cloud of dust in her wake.
The human leading the force, assumed to be the commander, looked ready to have her soldiers attack the rushing half-orc, but luckily Olorin intervened with a laugh as he held up his hand. "She's a harmless friend, unless there are doors nearby." The commander didn't understand what he meant by that last part but nonetheless had her men stand down.
Forgetting - or not caring - about formalities, Magra ran right passed the wizard and commander and jumped up next to Jacob who smiled at the sight of his barbarian lover. Excited to see him but wanting to remain somewhat professional, she leaned in close to his ear, "Let's go find a bush later." Jacob's fair face quickly reddened as his smile grew wider.
As the rest of Haven's Blade reached the army, the commander held her hand up again but this time to halt her army while Olorin waved his hand in greeting. After a quick exchange of pleasantries, Ru announced that Aeldevan needed some help. "He could probably use some milk, too."
The commander, Berta, turned towards someone who approached from behind Jacob's cart. Lyra, the cleric who healed Feyre of her Slaag egg issue, walked over to the cart pulled by Kevin. "Oh wow! What happened to him?" She pulled herself up next to Aeldevan and assessed his wounds as her hands started faintly glowing over them. "I don't have any milk on me, but this should do for now."
After Ru briefly explained to Berta and Olorin what had taken place in the city and how there could still be survivors, she brought up the refugees Magra and she had rescued. "There are a half dozen dwarves we met that are assisting the refugees out of the mines, so we should go check in with them."
Berta responded, "Thanks to Magra's warning to Jacob about the orcs heading our way, we suffered far fewer causalities than we would have." She gave a salute in thanks, which Ru awkwardly returned. "There's still much to do in the city, but I will lend you some assistance for the mines." After appointing some of her soldiers for the task, she added, "We'll set up a medic tent for survivors, so bring them there when you return."
At this point, Lyra had walked over to the group. "Aeldevan should be fine now, but I suggest he comes back with us," to which they all agreed. "By the way, what's the deal with that orc on the camel?"
From atop Dilliah, Feyre proudly repeated her previous statement, "He's our prisoner of war!"
Skamos lifted his head from next to Aeldevan, who he was laying next to now that he was awake. "Yeah, we're going to interrogate him once he wakes up."
"He's part of Vrazhura's guard," Magra added as she got down from Jacob's wagon.
"We killed the others though," Feyre pumped a victorious fist in the air.
"And I landed a hit on the Ash Fang before she teleported away," Aeldevan added, lifting his hand up so others could see him.
Lyra, Berta, and Olorin were all speechless, shocked that not only had most of Vrazhura's guard been defeated, but Haven's Blade also survived the encounter. "That is quite impressive," Olorin finally complimented.
Aeldevan slowly propped himself up on the cart's edge. "I'll fill you in on all the details on our way to the city," he offered.
"Well, you all best be on your way then," Berta said, signaling for her army to prepare to resume their march. "The sunlight is fading quickly, and there's much to do."
Magra and Feyre repositioned Dante and Dilliah to follow Olorin and Berta while Skamos assisted Aeldevan to Jacob's cart. After giving his partner a kiss and wishing him good luck, Aeldevan watched his friends depart on a beaten path to the mines.
◊◊◊
Magra and Nick led the way while Ru and Feyre rode on Kevin's cart with Skamos at his side. As they rolled up to the mine entrance, they saw two grinning dwarves.
"Need any help?" Ru asked as she jumped out of the cart. "It looks pretty clear for a collapsed tunnel."
"Not anymore," one of the dwarves exclaimed. "We're almost done here."
As if on cue, Dulrik emerged from the tunnel followed by all the prisoners Ru and Magra helped escape. All things considered, they looked to be in good shape.
"That's all of them!" Jorvik announced as he came out of the mine, bringing up the rear.
"Glad to see you made it!" Magra leaned down to give Jorvik a fist bump who, unlike Feyre, was sturdy enough to not be toppled.
Once everyone had a quick look over to make sure no one needed immediate medical attention, Haven's Blade helped the eldest and youngest refugees up into the cart. It was a tight fit, but they were happy to be off their feet. Magra and Skamos followed Nick back towards the road with Kevin behind them. Ru and Feyre walked behind with Dulrik and Jorvik to catch each other up on what had transpired that day.
Meanwhile, Everlit's army had marched into the city and immediately established a medic area while others searched for survivors. The smoke was still pungent in the air, but the fires had since died down or been put out. Apparently after the orc's initial destruction upon their arrival, there wasn't much more to burn.
"Aeldevan," Berta called over her shoulder as they rode through the streets, "do you have any idea where we can put this guy?" She nodded her head to the orc who was still passed out on Dante.
"When I flew around the city, I think I saw a jail over on that side street," he replied. "I think I can walk well enough to show you." Jacob stopped his cart and helped the druid down, brushing off Aeldevan's shoulders and clapping his arms to perk him up. Aeldevan winced but appreciated the gesture. "Thanks, Jacob. You'll want to keep heading down this road to the tavern. I think it's the only one around, if it's even still standing." Jacob thanked him before getting back into his cart and continued down the road.
Berta called over one of her men, also a half-elf, before turning to address Lyra. "Do you think you three can handle moving the orc into a cell? Olorin and I should cover more ground to assess the situation before night sets in."
"You got it," the cleric replied. "I'll make sure he's locked up tight and will keep an eye on him." The soldier accompanying them volunteered to take shifts with her, which she welcomed.
After awkwardly removing the orc from Dante, the three half-elves stumbled through the halls, with Aeldevan breathing life into the cold sconces that lined the walls to light their way. Once they reached the cell room of the Local Dungeon, the druid flopped the orc down on a stone bed in one of the cells. In a sudden burst of over-tired adrenaline, Aeldevan channeled Magra's spirit and ripped off one of the orc's toenails.
"What the fuck!" Lyra shouted as she shoved Aeldevan out of the way. "If you want him to last until tomorrow to talk to him," she scolded, "you'd better not mess him up anymore." She put her hands over the toe which lit up with her magic. "Now, I think we've all had quite a long day," her voice calmer as she exited the cell, the soldier walking over with a ring of keys he found hanging on the wall. "So why don't you head to the tavern and get a good night's rest," she said to the druid.
"Yeah, I think I need some calories, too," Aeldevan replied. "Thanks for all your help," he said to the soldier and Lyra before slumping away. Once outside, he struggled to climb onto Dilliah from exhaustion. He proceeded to lead her and Dante towards the stable by the tavern. Upon arrival, a soldier tending to some of the army's horses recognized him and offered to get them fed and watered as she helped him off the mule and into the tavern. Luckily, Jacob was inside and took Aeldevan's arm and sat him down in one of the booths.
"I'm sure your friends will be here soon," Jacob said as he brought over some mead and bread. "I'll be getting the barrels situated if you need anything."
Not long after, the rest of Haven's Blade and Jorvik walked through the door. Ru and Magra gave a small wave to Jerome who was in the far corner with two empty glasses on the table and a full one to his lips. Once everyone noticed Aeldevan in his booth, they walked over and introduced him to Jorvik.
"You look like shit," Jorvik said to Aeldevan with a hearty laugh as he slapped his shoulder. Aeldevan's face paled, but he smiled nonetheless. "Ru, why don't you help me grab some food from the cellar?"
"I'll grab the drinks," Magra offered, unusually chipper. She immediately went over to Jacob who was lifting a full keg of ale into place. She grabbed it with one hand and slapped Jacob's butt with the other. "Thanks, Jacob," she said nonchalantly before winking at him. She set the cask on the group's table which creaked dangerously under the weight.
"Now there's no room for the food!" Feyre whined.
"Oh relax, it'll be gone in a minute," Magra assured her.
Skamos had come back with several mugs that he had been moving his hands over with glittering energy. "I don't think there's one clean dish in this place," he said with disgust, "but I was able to use my cantrip to get these pretty decent though."
Once the mugs were full, Magra set the half-empty keg on the floor and used it as a seat. Ru and Jorvik arrived with a couple platters filled with sausage links, jars of jam, cheese, and other preservatives. Everyone's mouths fell open and began drooling.
"This looks amazing," Feyre exclaimed. "I was honestly getting tired of all that jerky and berries."
"Good thing those orcs didn't find the cellar," Jorvik said, relieved. "Luckily we had a good harvest that lasted long through the winter, although we will need to stock up soon. But tonight, we feast!"
Throughout the meal, Magra would make eyes at Jacob while he kept glancing at her breasts. "You're as tired as I am, right, Jacob," she pointedly asked him from across the bar. He gave her several quick nods in anticipation. She turned back to the table emptied of food. "I'm gonna head up to bed," she announced before abruptly leaving the table and running upstairs with Jacob behind her.
"You should think about getting some rest, too," Ru nudged Aeldevan, who looked like he was about to pass out.
With heavy eyelids, all he said was, "Okay," before getting up. Left on his seat was a pool of blood, which the others pretended not to notice.
"Yeah, let's get you cleaned up and then it's straight to bed," Skamos told his partner as he helped him up the stairs to the washroom.
Jorvik cleared his throat, "I can't wait to sleep in my own bed again." As he stood up, he rubbed his lower back. "That cot downstairs ain't too comfy."
After Ru and Feyre helped Jorvik clear the table, they also headed upstairs. "I'm gonna spoon you so hard, Ru!" Feyre teased as she ran behind her friend pretending to tickle her.
With everyone gone now, Jerome finished his fifth drink and headed for the door. After seeing Haven's Blade together, he hiccuped a small laugh and rolled his eyes. "Weirdos."
◊◊◊
After a long night's rest, Aeldevan felt his energy return to normal. He gently kissed Skamos's head before sliding out of bed to get dressed. Luckily he had a change of clothes since the other ones were torn, burned, and stained with blood. He then whispered into his partner's ears, "It's time to interrogate."
Skamos's eyes flew open as a mischievous grin spread across his flawless face. "I can't wait!" He exclaimed, jumping out of bed before almost rushing out of the room naked.
While Skamos pulled on his clothes, Aeldevan went around and knocked on his friends' doors announcing, "It's interrogation day!"
Almost immediately, Magra swung open her door where she stood fully dressed and ready to go.
"No Jacob?" the bard asked as he opened his door.
"He has a busy schedule, so he left earlier this morning," Magra explained.
In Ru and Feyre's room, the dwarf delicately brushed Feyre's hair out of her face as she whispered for her to wake up. The gnome was sprawled out with her mouth open, and after trying for several minutes of being gentle, Ru finally rolled Feyre off the bed to get her to wake up.
After breakfast, the group checked in on their animals next door. Nick had stayed with them through the night and excitedly licked Magra upon seeing her. The stale warm air sat on their skin as they made their way over to the Local Dungeon, a warning of the humidity to come. Without any breeze, there was a slight haze from the lingering smoke which stung slightly with each breath. Despite this, soldiers and townsfolk alike were out and about already working on putting the city back together. Even children carried small stones and pieces of wood while the elderly passed out refreshments and cared for infants.
Ru was the first to approach the two soldiers guarding the jail's entrance. "Good morning. We're here to interrogate Joey." They raised an eyebrow, unsure of who Joey was.
Feyre quickly stepped in front of her friend and clarified, "She means the orc we brought in yesterday." Now understanding, the guards allowed them through seeing as they matched the descriptions Berta gave them.
Inside, Berta was walking away from Joey's cell, a piece of bread and cup of water on the cold stone floor at its entrance. "Good luck," she said dryly as she walked by. Aeldevan noticed that Lyra and the other half-elf were no longer around; no doubt they were already at work helping repair the city and heal its inhabitants.
Skamos took no time and stepped up to the cell, making direct eye contact with Joey. The others saw a deep purple and pinkish hue cloud over the Tiefling's eyes and then Joey's, indicated Skamos's charm spell had worked flawlessly. Immediately, Joey's face showed relief at seeing someone he regarding as an ally, although he was still confused about what had happened and why he was locked up. Before he could ask, though, Skamos unlocked the cell and got right into his questioning, closing the door behind him.
"Can you remind me why we were out there," the bard asked.
Joey gestured for him to come closer and whispered, "We shouldn't talk in front of them." He eyed the others with suspicion. "They're not our kind."
Skamos nodded, "You don't have to worry, but let me talk with them," and went to the cell's edge. After speaking with his friends, he brought in Aeldevan while the other three moved to the far side of the room. Speaking to Joey again, he introduced his partner, "I don't know what happened in the battle, but this guy is one of us. He's the reason you're alive right now."
Joey kept his distance and asked them both, "Then why did you fight us outside the wall?"
Hoping his spell would do most of the work but unsure of how to answer, Skamos just repeated, "I'm not sure. I don't know what happened."
This seemed to suffice, though, since Joey motioned for them both to come closer. "Do you really not remember anything," he asked in a hushed voice, still cautious of those outside the cell.
"I only remember you and me eating lunch together," Skamos replied.
Antsy to get some information out of Joey, Aeldevan spoke up. "We only remember Vrazhura having us come to the city but nothing else. We just want to clarify some things so we can get to the bottom of this since we don't have our memories."
Joey glared at the druid. "I'd like to clarify some things, too." Trying to look confident, Aeldevan gestured for him to go first. "Why am I locked in this cell, but you two aren't?"
"We were able to trick the people who found us into thinking we were victims of the attack," Aeldevan responded. "So now we're trying to find anyone from the clan that remains in the city so that we can rally tonight and head to the grove."
"Well," Joey replied, "you've found one. So let me out now."
Aeldevan kept his composure, feeling the orc getting restless. "We will tonight, but you can't hurt anyone or else you could blow our cover. We need to be strategic."
Joey glanced over at Skamos for assurance, seeing as he only trusted him and not the half-elf. Skamos nodded in agreement with Aeldevan, "He's right. There's only us for now, so we should wait until night."
The orc chewed the inside of his cheek as he thought about it but ultimately accepted the explanation. "Well then what do we do in the meantime?"
"Unfortunately, you're going to have to keep playing this prison game while the two of us try finding others loyal to our cause," the Tiefling replied.
Once Ru noticed the lull in conversation, she walked over and beckoned Skamos to the cell door away from Aeldevan and Joey. "I'm here to see what you all would like for lunch," she said in a volume just louder than normal. Then in a hushed voice, "What's going on?" Once Skamos giving her a quick summary, she pulled out a sausage from breakfast and gave it to him before speaking normally again, "Here, this should hold you over until then." She then left to get more food for them at the Red Eye.
"And make it snappy!" Skamos shouted after her. When he turned back around, Joey had an evil grin on his face.
"It's good to see we have those dirty dwarves bringing us food," he commented. Skamos only gave a small laugh as he handed the sausage over. Joey took it greedily and sat down on the stone slab that was his bed, chomping on the meat savagely.
Aeldevan cleared his throat to resume their talk, "Let's go over what we do know so that we can come up with an escape plan." Joey looked at him uninterested but didn't interrupt as he chewed with his mouth open. "I know we were supposed to meet Vrazhura at the grove at some point. Was that where you were all on your way to? Were we supposed to meet there tonight?"
Joey licked his fingers with dramatized lip smacking as he debated whether to respond. Skamos gestured to him it was okay, which seemed to be enough convincing. "Yeah," he replied, leaning back on his elbows, "she's heading there to meet up with Zorgoth." His tone indicated his annoyance that this was something that should be obvious even with memory loss.
"Right, okay, that's what I thought," Aeldevan tried not to trip up. "We just wanted to make sure that was still the plan." After a few seconds of Joey staring at him unamused, he continued. "Does she still have her staff and amulet? I can't remember what they're for, but I just feel like they're vital to make sure our plans are carried out."
"Unless she's dead, then yes," he said dryly. "She would never part with those willingly."
"That's good to hear," Aeldevan replied, trying to not sound too excited at how well this was going. "To make sure no one gets in our way, is there anyone we should watch out for? Anyone that might be onto us?" He was hoping Haven's Blade's name hadn't become too popular to the orcs.
"Yeah, actually, there is." Joey sat up and put his fist to chin in thought. "I think they're called Haven's Blade or something. They have an elven druid and a Tiefling bard..." He trailed off as he started taking a closer look at the two people in his cell, his eyes widening. He slowly turned his head to Skamos and lifted his hand to his face, whispering, "Isn't he one of them?" Indicating Aeldevan, "He fits the description!"
Skamos stuck to his story and just repeated himself, "No, he's definitely one of us." Luckily, his charm was still in full effect, helping to smooth out any tension in the conversation. Skamos noticed his friend glancing to beyond the cell and got the hint. "But I know you both aren't getting along very well, so let me pull him aside for a minute."
When the two were out of the cell and couldn't be overheard, Aeldevan spoke first. "I can't ask him any more questions. He's getting too suspicious, so you'll need to take it from here." Skamos nodded in agreement but stayed there looking at him as if expecting more. Aeldevan gave an amused sigh before listing off several key questions, which Skamos scratched down on some parchment from the guard desk before going back into the cell alone.
"I think it'll be less tense if it's just us two talking," Skamos said, leaning against the bars so that Joey's voice might still be heard by Aeldevan. "I think I'm more foggy than he is, though," he pointed to his partner, "so you're gonna have to help me with some details." Joey sat up and seemed much more willing to talk without anyone else around. "After we took over the city, do have any idea how many of us are left?"
Joey replied enigmatically, "We should have more than enough to complete the ritual."
"Perfect!" Skamos responded, although almost too cheerily. "And what did he mean by a staff and amulet? What are those supposed to do?"
"I think the staff is just that but can cast some strong spells." Joey leaned in closer and lowered his voice, "But the amulet is where her real power comes from." Skamos stepped closer, looking bewildered. "It's not a weapon at all but a communication tool."
Skamos pushed him for more when the orc didn't say anything else. "Communication to who?"
Joey readjusted himself on the bed and spoke naturally again, "You really don't even remember that?"
Skamos struggled to justify all these things he couldn't remember. "There are bits and pieces here and there, but I think I was put under a strong spell, so everything is still very cloudy." Next he was rambling about there being a woman and a child before he noticed Joey's eyes start questioning him. He then thought of the only reasonable explanation. "Is she using the amulet to speak with Gruumsh?"
Joey's suspicion receded, and he slowly nodded. "Who do you think we're getting our instructions from?"
"And when are we planning to summon Gruumsh?"
Joey calculated in his head before responding. "With the amount of cold iron we gathered, it should only be a matter of weeks now." He laughed in excitement, a fire reigniting in his eyes.
Moments later, Ru came back into the room carrying more sausage and mugs of beer. Aeldevan subtly intercepted her to pass along another question for Skamos to ask, accepting one of the sausages as he did so. As she approached the cell, Skamos walked over to take them, listening closely to Ru's whisper. "Can I get you anything else," she asked aloud once she passed everything along.
"No, bitch," Skamos spat as he pushed her away from the cell.
Catching herself from falling, Ru meekly replied, "Yes, master," before leaving again.
Turning back to Joey, Skamos passed him another sausage and beer before taking a bite of his own. "So, what do you know about the ritual? All I remember is it requires a lot of resources."
"I'm not sure of the particulars since it's a closely guarded secret by Zorgoth and Vrazhura." Joey took a swig of his drink before releasing a long belch. "I think they found a book about it years ago and have been issuing orders ever since, but I'd say most of the details come straight through that pendant."
Skamos nodded slowly as he thought about his last question, the one Ru passed along having been answered. "So where's Zorgoth now?"
"You know where he is." Joey's incredulous stare told Skamos he was getting tired of all the questions, but he nonetheless provided an answer although cryptically. "Just follow Vrazhura."
"Oh, right," Skamos feigned. "Of course. Well, I don't want the others getting suspicious, so I should get back to them." Skamos clinked mugs with Joey in thanks before chugging the rest of his beer and leaving the cell.
While Joey was distracted with the rest of his snack, Aeldevan whispered to Skamos, "We don't actually know where the grove is, so we need you to find out."
After letting out an irritated sigh, Skamos made his way back into the cell, feeling awkward for already having ended the conversation. "So," drawing the word out, "I actually can't remember where the grove is from here, and I want to make sure I get the right supplies before we leave tonight."
Accepting the reasonable explanation for someone who couldn't remember anything, Joey gave simple instructions. "Go west to the foothills of the mountains, and you'll find the grove just below the tree line about five days travel from here." Then he chuckled, "Just follow the wagon tracks." He took the last bite of his sausage before laughing louder, "I can't wait to watch Everlit burn."
The room was quiet except for Joey's laughter and the cell door clanging shut as Skamos exited again. Haven's Blade quickly left the room before the orc noticed their concern so they could discuss what they all had just heard.
"What if he meant there are enough orcs to finally destroy Everlit this time," Ru asked rhetorically, "and then use the deaths of its people as part of the ritual." Her friends stayed silent, but the look on their faces said it all. "I think we should go to Everlit right away and meet with the council."
