Off on another adventure...

[feathered_mages]

Arashi was not a happy Waltz. Old Aaron at the general store had told him the usual caravan bringing supplies for trade into Sarwin was late. Which meant there still wasn't a way to send the draft sketches of the weapon Arashi wanted to custom order off to be made. The Waltz is tempted to just fly out, find the dwarves, and deliver it himself

Comments

[random_xtras]

Silver looks up from where she's busy with a square of course fabric that someone gave her, her big blue eyes serious as she looks at the stewing Mage. Then she looks at Mistral. "Do you want me to look and see where they are? I can do it."

[feathered_mages]

"If it wouldn't be too hard for you," says Mistral. "Otherwise, I think Arashi might go looking for them..."

As it turns out, there are only four people left from the caravan. Two humans and a halfling are very well tied up and a bit battered, and a dwarf who has been beaten unconscious. They're all in a cage...

Looks like that ale's going to be even later.

[random_xtras]

The little girl hugs her half-finished knot doll and closes her eyes, frowning a bit with concentration as she looks for the right information.

Then she gasps and opens those wide blue eyes to look up at Mistral. "They're all in a cage, and only this many are left."

[feathered_mages]

"Good thing I hadn't ordered desert yet," mutters Blaze, looking up from his lunch.

Rydia nods. "Let's get our things together." She looks to Silver. "Can you lead us to where they are?"

It's a cave in the mountains. Orcs are not very imaginative. Luckily, they don't plan on killing their remaining prisoners yet, as they are trying to collect a ransom from the town the caravan came from first.

[random_xtras]

Silver nods, projecting an image of the cave and of the thought of the location that she picked up from one of the beings that are there to any of her friends who will pick it up.

[feathered_mages]

"Let's go," says Arashi

[random_xtras]

Silver can sense them alright. She can pretty well see them.

Big blue eyes look up at Rydia. "They're hiding by the door. Should I rawre them?"

[feathered_mages]

Rydia considers it, and shakes her head, whispering back. "We don't want to raise an alarm and have them go for the hostages. A sleep spell might be better..." But how to target them for a spell when she can't see them?

An impatient Blaze, listening in, solves that problem... luckily, sleep is a black magic spell, or at least the version Rydia taught them was. His short range teleport will get him inside, and then it's naptime for the Orcs. Once they're out, he'll go to open the portcullis so the others can get in.

[random_xtras]

Silver nods to Rydia, then hugs her doll and watches Blazes.

[feathered_mages]

Luckily for Blaze, most Orcs are weak to magic. They're out.

"They were already expecting company, if the door was being watched," says Arashi as they sneak in.

"But with these asleep and unable to let the others know we've arrived or made it in the door, we still have some chance of surprise," counters Rydia. At least she hopes that's the case, for the sake of the hostages.

There doesn't seem to be anything else of interest in this room, so Blaze heads for the door. He doesn't hear anything on the other side, and tries to open it cautiously. It's unlocked. The room on the other side smells strongly of garbage and rotted meat, with a trace of a sharp sour tang in the air. No trash or garbage is visible, but there's a thin layer of slime on the corner. There's also a heavy iron door on the far wall. Seeing nothing in the way, Blaze is ready to just head through this room to the door...

((big ol gelly-cube XD ))

[random_xtras]

"Wait! Blaze, wait, there's something in there!" calls Silver with childish urgency. "It's not smart, but it's dangerous."

[feathered_mages]

Blaze jerks back from the doorway and peers into the room, but, Mage visual acuity being what it is he doesn't see anything there.

Mistral reaches in his pocket, and has his bell ready, also looking around. They stay back from the doorway, but still haven't actually spotted the cube.

The Gelatinous Cube is only barely visible in the corner, the biggest, clearest chunk of living jello ever.

[random_xtras]

"It's right there." Silver slips a little closer to the entrance and points, her eyes seeming to shine slightly in the mirk. "The big lump of jelly."

[feathered_mages]

The Mages still can't see it, until Blaze has the idea to grab a torch from the walls of the room they're in and shine a little more light through the doorway. The reflection of the fire on the surface of the huge cube gives its position away. It jiggles a bit.

"Don't scare it," says Mistral, and lets his bell ring softly. He's trying not to wake the sleep-spelled Orcs in the process of gaining control of the Gelatinous Cube.

The cube just jiggles a little again, sliding out of the way of the far door.

"You are not keeping it," says Arashi.