V04: Forging their own
It is midnight, 4 years down the road. Belfan's treatments have gotten his condition completely under control. The wild little girl they found near the creek 4 years ago, lives in the village now. Her name is Dor. The children, now teens, have decided to leave their town and venture out into the world, each with their own goal in mind.
The first month of their travels go well and they visit several towns that are much larger than their own home of Verdale. With each town, they learn more about the world. One night they finally learn the cruelties of the world around them. They come upon the city of Ebonra. In this city, the homeless and street urchins disappear in the night, theft and corruption run rampant, and it seems almost all sense of morality is gone.
FAST FORWARD>>>On their third night in Ebonra, Peran and Ryje are walking back towards the tavern they are staying in, when a smaller boy who isn't paying much attention to where he is running, bumps into the Ryje. As he bounces off of the older boy, he begs forgiveness and continues to run away. Peran notices the boy pick Ryje's coin purse.
Peran: "Hey! Boy! Get ba....."
Ryje: "Let him go. If he has to steal it, he needs it more. Besides.......you know I always keep the loosely filled pouch, visible and easy to steal. Better they take what I want them to, then whatever they choose."
The next day, Ryje gets the group to help him ask around about the boy. He finds out there are several such urchins that steal to feed themselves, or sometimes their families. He learns from the other urchins though, that the boy disappeared last night.
Ryje: "Have you seen a boy about this tall, barefoot, and likes to take things that belong to others?"
Urchin: "Maybe I did. Maybe I didn't. I don't just bark on others because someone asks."
Ryje: "He is in no trouble. I just need the pouch back. Not the coin. I can even pay you a good bit of copper for your information."
Urchin: "I ain't seen 'em on his turf at all yet today. He might've disappeared last night, like the others. Been going on for a while now."
Ryje: "Where have these disappearances been happening?"
Meanwhile, Belfan and Alendra have been working with the few remaining and respectable Clergyman, Alchemists, and Physicians in the city. For several days now, they have worked to heal the poor and unfortunate using Belfan's knowledge of disease and the the minor divine blessings that Alendra has received for her faith. As they are talking, a little girl with short blonde hair stumbles in...
Little Girl: coughs "Help."
Little Girl: weakly walks in "My brother...he didn't come home last night."
the little girl coughs twice more and then falls to the floor.
In a different part of the city. Chale, Dor, and Erwin area out exploring more of this busy and fascinating place. They navigated through the market district looking at the numerous odd goods and learning about the exotic people who traveled far and wide to get here.
FAST FORWARD>>>The children, bloody and exhausted, are in a dark cavern, fighting a creature that you can barely make out. You see a boys arm laying bloody and unmoving on the ground next to it. As Ryje sees this, his eyes explode in anger, as a dark red glow starts to emanate from them and his hands become wreathed in black and red flames. He drops his sword and starts to walk towards the creature slowly, as the others are stunned by what they are seeing.
As he approaches, the beast can finally be seen. It is large and resembles the form of a man. Though, its arms are long and talons appear where hands would normally be. It's head is that of a raven, with a shortened beak. It lunges forward to strike. Quickly, Ryje grabs its arms and raises the creatures talons. The bird-like creature lets out painful screeches as the flames start to spread across its body, until it is finally enveloped and drops. Ryje refuses to let go, until there is nothing left but ash.
Ryje leans down and takes the boys corpse into his arms. He grabs the coin pouch and attaches it to his waist
Ryje: "I will save all of these lost children."
Belfan: walks up to Ryje and places his hand on his shoulder "We will save them."
Alendra: "That's right! Those two creatures won't be the last ones."