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"Erm.... well, I mean you no harm, if that's a start. I guess it's also worth mentioning that my brother would skin you alive if he found you with my body, my other companions probably wouldn't take the news of my death well either. Since I'm pretty sure you have no ties to authorities, I'll tell you that we're escaped slaves, we just landed on the island and are seeking the nearest town. If you let us pass unharmed, then no harm will come to you. Do we have an agreement?"

"You're no fun, you don't even whimper," Ja'quar said, "But enough of us, you have companions. You even have a brother who would want to go on a personal vendetta for you. THAT could get ugly." Ja'quar then drew his dagger, making sure to flash it in front of the captured man's face. He walked around him but kept on talking "You also were slaves, puppets of other men."

"Dagon's in trouble" Then, suddenly, a bright appeared around them and more voices seemed to come from the beach. As he heard this, Ja'quar's concentration broke and the deer slumped to the ground. He had to this fast.

"I hate slavers." Ja'quar started to speak hastily into the light, "They don't even have a purpose. Anyway, I help you and you help me. Let's put on a little show."


The light began to subside.

His dagger swung and struck the rope. Dagon fell towards the ground and with a thud flesh met earth. Ja'quar cut the rope around his foot and helped him up. Then he put his hand on the former slave's shoulder as others ran to his aid. With a smile on his face and a friendly voice he said: "Watch your steps in these swamps friend. My traps are not meant for you. Now come with me and I will show you the way."

The mysterious man expressed his concern about his companions, and brother, obviously realizing that he would be overpowered and killed.

"Anyway, I help you and you help me. Let's put on a little show." he said, as he cut the rope above Dagon, slamming him into the ground with a thud. Dagon got up as the man put his hand on his shoulder, "Watch your steps in these swamps friend. My traps are not meant for you. Now come with me and I will show you the way."

Heh.... guess he's figured out they'd kill him. Dagon thought, grinning at the sudden change in the mans mood.

"Easy guys, he's not here to kill us. I happened upon one of his traps, no harm done." he said to his onrushing companions, trying to ease their combat ready nerves.

Dagon eyed the man suspiciously. "Well, at any rate, seems we've got ourselves a guide now, lead on."

The companions that had arrived looked menacing. There was no way Ja'quar could win a fight, even in his home territory. He was glad Dagon held his end of the bargain.

"Hi there", Ja'quar said to the crowd, "I'm Ja'quar and I'm very sorry for this inconvenience. I'm just a trapper making a living in these swamps and sometimes these things happen. I'll help you on your way. There is a town not far from here where you can restock on supplies. From there roads can take you to the harbour city. Watch your step and just follow my lead."

And at that he turned around and started walking into the marshes, feeling the suspicious stares of many piercing his back.

"Dagon's in trouble" Borin yelled to the group following the sound of Dagon's cry for help.

Jerfuth ran, transforming into a tiger, to where Dagon was hanging upside down. A man approached Dagon from the shadows, threatening him with death, but he kept strong, telling the man that he would die too, if he killed him. Suddenly, a bright pillar of white light flarred up in between the man and Dagon, blinding anyone in the proximity. After shielding his eyes, Jerfuth turned back to the man and Dagon noticing that the other former slaves had joined him at his side, ready to take action if necessary. The light had faded and Dagon laid on the ground, next to the man who had set the trap.

"Easy guys, he's not here to kill us. I happened upon one of his traps, no harm done," he said as the other slaves rushed to Dagon's side, "Well, at any rate, seems we've got ourselves a guide now, lead on."

"Hi there", the man said to the crowd before introducing himself and telling the group how to get to the closest town.

Jerfuth eyed the man intently, trying to read the intentions of the man as he shifted back into his human form. Hmm, Jerfuth thought to himself, Dagon seems to be a wise man, I would put my trust into him to make a good decision. I just hope this is the right one. Jerfuth took a step into the murky water of the swamp, his boots sinking deep into the mud. He looked around to the others with a smirk on his face. His skin started to turn a deep emerald green as his armor and weapon had done before. His eyes changed into small black slits and his new forked tounge flickered between his large, vemon dripping fangs. Jerfuth then slithered ahead through the muddy swamp water with ease.

"Well, that's convenient for him, but I think we're going to have to be careful in these swamps" Vaker said as he watched Jerfuth transformed into a snake ...

He had been pretty nervous the few seconds before, but the words of Dagon and the obvious menace they represented to the man were more than enough to calm him. It seemed that there was nothing to fear ... While that was a good reason to distrust.

"I hope this man doesn't guide us into a trap" he thought.

Borin followed suit into the murky waters of the swamp. He watched as the group followed one-by-one through the tricky terrain. With each step he felt his boot lower into the mud they laid below the water and brush. Step after step the water rose and rose until Borin could no longer see his own shins.

Just as Borin took another step he felt something move underneath his foot. Borin paused for second as he then felt something brush up against his leg. Borin stopped in his tracks and yelled out "Guys, I just felt something brush up against my legs."

Borin looked around to ensure that the sensation was not caused by his newly formed slithering companion.

"Well, that's convenient for him, but I think we're going to have to be careful in these swamps"

"Too convenient." Wulfgar thought to himself. "His appearance as soon as we landed was much to convenient to be coincidence."

Wulfgar decided to let it pass this time, but remained somewhat reluctant to have this man in the group, but there was little he could do about it at the moment.

"Where exactly are you taking us?" Drangar asked the man as he continued to follow him. Drangar was alert and suspicious Be on your toes Drangar, it could be a trap.

At times Ja'quar turned around to check up on the group. Everybody seemed to follow him, albeit with great suspicion in their eyes. He definitely felt himself a captive, even if he was unshackled. As he walked on someone caught up with him and asked where they were headed.

"There's a road not far away from here. About a half hour walk, but of course I'm used to walking in the muck. That road will take us to Yarin, a small settlement at the centre of this island. I could have taken a faster route, but this one doesn't have any traps. From Yarin it's an easy route towards the harbour city of Athal. If you want to repair your boat, that's the place you have to be. I suggest you wait on going there. It's a two hour walk and Yarin has enough shops to get you some proper supplies."

He then heard some commotion coming from the green cloaked man. Ja'quar whiffed it away, "I don't think it's harmful. The creatures here have ample food and are quite afraid of man." Ja'quar said in response, "Just use some fat trunk to empty your boots. If it is some sort of creature, don't make it angry but gently pull it out. That should do the trick."

Jerfuth rose out of the water with enough force to completely soak the stoic barbarian, who hadn't formally introduced himself and Zhao. He had turned back into his human form and was wrestling a large swamp fish, it's teeth dug deep into Jerfuth's bleeding arm. He quickly grabbed his staff with his free hand hitting the fish again and again until it stopped flopping around.

"I don't think it was nothing, Ja'quar," Jerfuth said prying the fish's small dagger-like teeth out of his arm and tossing the fish back into water, "Maybe I should look like such a meal though."

Jerfuth stepped back into the group following Ja'quar to wherever he had been leading them. As they walked Jerfuth wiped his profusely bleeding arm off on his cloth undershirt. He then removed a small pouch of fine white dust from his bags and sprinkled on his arm before pouring a small amount of a yellow goo overtop the dust. Jerfuth began to rub the subtence together over the wounds, clenching his teeth at the pain of the medicines taking affect on his arm. There better not be anymore suprises like that, Jerfuth thought angerly.

Dagon nodded at their newfound companion, and followed him, as did the rest of the men, to the town of Yarin.

As they approached, the massive walls of the city loomed 30 feet in the air, the angular, cut stone in stark contrast to the unorganized farmland laying outside of the walls. The city seemed out of place, slapped in the middle of a lowland meadow, surrounded on all sides by rural farms. But, Dagon was still thankful that they had managed to reach the city.

They passed through the gates without any harassment from the guards, obviously adventurers frequented this part of the island. As they passed through the gates, the grandeur of the stone walls was not diminished by the town: it was a beautiful city. Wooden cottages stood side by side, lined with gardens while stone walkways intertwined between them.

"Well... guess we're in the residential neighborhood, there should be a tavern somewhere around here." Dagon said, licking his lips at the thought of a cold pint of ale, no doubt the others were doing the same.

They searched about for what seemed to Dagon as an eternity, the thought of food weighing heavily on his weary mind. They eventually came to a Tavern, The Drunken Demon, the name alone suggested adventurers of all sorts visited this town, just as the gates did.

They went inside, and were greeted with the sounds of music, pints clanking, and general bar sounds.

"First round on me." Dagon said to the group as he tossed a bag of silver at the barmaid, and grinned back at the former slaves. Some ale would do wonders to raise the spirits of the group.

"This is better than a full rejuvenation potion" Vaker said as he finish his ale ... "a warm bath and a good meal it's all I need to be ready to forget our ordeal"

leaned back in his chair and began to play with some flames in his hands

"What we should do next?" he asked to the group...

Borin continued following their guide until they reached upon a giant stone walled city. As they walked through the gates, Borin couldn't help but feel a bit hesitant.

Who knows if anyone here will spot me Borin thought to himself as he assured the placement of his mask. You can never be to sure in an unfamiliar place he told himself thinking back on the words of his parents.

Borin watched as most of the newly freed slaves poured into a bar aptly named The Drunken Demon.

"I'm gonna pass." Borin told the rest of the group, always cautious of his actions and the consequences that could happen. Instead, Borin went behind the back alley of the bar to see what else he could find in the town.

Dagon's drinks arrived within minutes, and he grinned at the barmaid, slipping her an extra silver for bringing them so quickly.

Ripples formed in his drink, a rhythmic wave that would repeat every second. Dagon knew this was no trick of the senses, he had not had anything to drink yet. The ripples grew in size, eventually shaking the glass itself. The patrons of the bar were experiencing similar activity, some having to hold onto their glasses to make the clinking stop.

He heard cracking sound outside, and a booming crash. He drew his blade and walked slowly to the door, opening it an inch to see what was happening outside. As he peeked out, an arrow whizzed past his face, and impaled a bar patron, his cries pierced the silence that had developed. The other patrons rushed to the man, examining the arrow. It seemed to be made of wood, with bone fletching and a bone tip.

"This is of Fallen make..." one of the men gasped.
"Demons?! Here?!?!" yelled another, obviously working himself into a state of panic.

Dagon peeked back outside, and saw guards manning the ramparts, and several holding the gate.

A church bell rang out, alerting the citizens to take shelter: Demons were upon the town.

Just as the bell finished its 5th toll, the gates crashed down, and hordes of fallen poured into the town.

"FALLEN!!!!" cried Dagon, looking back at his companions, making sure they were all in fit condition to defend their lives.

"FALLEN!!!!"

"Shit! I was having a good time..." Vaker thought as he stood and prepared for battle ... approached the door where Dagon was and asked, "Were you able to count them? ... bah, is not important, we're going to get a headache anyway"

Vaker adjusted her clothes and began to focus, He wanted to finish quickly with it... The fallen didn't inspire a great challenge, but he knew if they were in large groups and raided could be very dangerous ... and this seemed to be the current situation.

"Should we go out or wait them to get in?"

Borin continued his walk through the streets until he found just what he was looking for. The shop sign read - The Archery. Borin walked in to see a magnificent display of bows, crossbows, arrows and bolts. Borin eagerly approached the counter and asked the merchant for one hundred of his finest arrows.

"That'll be 50 silver pieces" the shop keeper announced to Borin. Borin reached in his pocket to pay the man. He reached the bottom of his pocket only to feel the cloth at the bottom. "Damn slavers" Borin thought to himself, "They got my money too".

Just as Borin was about to explain his situation to the merchant he heard a bell ringing throughout the city. Borin looked around as all of the townsfolk ran screaming and yelling.

"They're here" the shop keeper screamed with fear in his voice. Borin looked around for a brief second before looking back at the shop keeper who had already fled his shop.

Borin stood alone in the shop as he heard panic out on the streets. "I'll just take these" Borin said to himself as he gathered the stack of arrows on the counter. Borin left the shop and returned to the bar where he heard Dagon yelling "FALLEN!!!!"

As Ja'quar sat down to enjoy his tankard, but something was off. He looked around, but everybody seemed to ignore them. Good Ja'quar thought to himself, At least they are not alerted by my presence.

But the sensation didn't pass away. In fact, it only grew stronger. He then saw what was wrong; the earth seemed to vibrate. Soon, everybody had to hold on to their drinks.

A patron got hit with an arrow. His body slumped to the floor with a loud shriek.

"FALLEN!!!!"

"They are those bouncing killing machines, right?" Ja'quar remarked, "Damn annoying, the little buggers." He knew that he could take some down man to man, but knowing fallen there would be too many he could handle.

Swiftly, he ran to the fallen patron where a crowd of people had gathered round. "Move away!" He said and they looked at him with a sliver of hope, "Can you save him?" He stabbed the guy in the chest,"Nah, he's dead. But he can still make himself useful."

The crowd watched in horror as Ja'quar slowly lifted the veil between life and death. The patron's body rose from the ground and shambled towards the door. "I guess he wants to avenge himself. Should I let him?"

Borin looked around as he saw dozens of red skinned monstrosities. Borin could see the drool dripping out of their mouths as they eagerly awaited killing the villagers. Borin turned to three of these miniature devils charging after him. Borin pulled three of his newly obtained arrows and fired them simultaneously at his assailants. The arrows each pierced the left eyeball of each of the minions. Unfortunately, it did little to stop the beasts in their attack.

Borin pulled out another arrow, this one had a frothy glow about it. As he fired the arrow, it struck into the ground inches from the monsters' feet. All three of the beast were instantly frozen in place. Borin shot three more arrows. This time the arrows pierced the beasts' hearts as they came shattering down into a dozen pieces.

Borin scouted the area once again and saw two of the little creatures headed towards Seddrik.

"Seddrik, look out!" Borin yelled.

Borin heard Seddrik's cries for help. Borin reached for an arrow from his quiver and placed it on his bow. As he drew back on the bow, the tip o the arrow began to blaze in hot burning fire. The fire grew and grew until Borin released the arrow. The arrow left a trail of flame in the air until the arrow hit it's mark. The arrow struck into the beating heart of the foul beast. The beast flew off of Seddrik chest and landed onto the hard ground. The beast violently shook as his body cooked from the inside. The beast's writhing body slowly turned from its crimson color to a dark grey ash. The body turned into ash as the pieces flew away in the wind.

"You must be more careful at times like these." Borin extended his hand to lift Seddrik up from the pavement.

"We need to get to the bar with the others" Borin hastily informed Seddrick. Borin passed another house as another two of the spawning monster leaped out from the windows. Borin pulled an arrow out from the quiver on his back and aimed his shot carefully. The arrow flew through the air as it hit the first demon and continued flying with the monster still impaled. The arrow continued until it hit the second creature. The arrow finally rested after pinning both monsters against the wooden wall of the house.

Borin headed down the street to The Drunken Demon.

*BANG* *BANG* *BANG*

Borin pounded his fist against the large wooden door.

"Let us in" Borin yelled as the fanatic demons approached closer.

Drangar casually sipped his ale in the corner of the bar as he attempted to impress a waitress. "Ya, I've killed some men in my day." Drangar said as he looked at the woman "Ya know, guys get in my way and sometimes shit has to go down." He quickly unsheathed his hidden blades, looked at the waitress and smiled. He retracted them and continued. "So what abo-" His speech was broken by a cry from his brother

"FALLEN!!!"

"Well, my lady, I regret that we could not continue to carry on, I bid you farewell." He kissed the young woman on the hand and ran towards the entrance of the bar and steeled his blade. "Come, meet your death!" Drangar said as he taunted the demonic creatures. Quickly one rushed at him but the small red beast was no match for Drangars quickness with one swing of his blade Drangar chopped his scimitar into the fallens shoulder and pulled it out. He rushed toward another group of fallen preparing to slay them.