Fourth Adventure 08: Beginning of the End

"'least we're gettin' some rest," Snarg says, shrugging his shoulders and plopping down in the nearest available shady spot.

Rory wrote:As the road to Al-Jalima begins to jam up, Rory takes the time to settle a grievance and sidles up next to Kolson.

"Hey. Listen, I didn't like a word you said the day before," he starts, "but I was the one who went shooting my mouth off, and it wasn't keen. There was no call to making a scene. I'm sorry."

Kolson thinks about that for a few seconds. "Apology accepted. I...could have been more diplomatic and much less insulting with my rebuke. Look, it's fine if you don't agree with me all the time, but magic is something I've spent almost my whole life studying. I know this stuff and the least you can do is respect that. Anyway, if you want to shake on it, I'll consider the matter closed."

Kolson Wezrae wrote:

Rory wrote:As the road to Al-Jalima begins to jam up, Rory takes the time to settle a grievance and sidles up next to Kolson.

"Hey. Listen, I didn't like a word you said the day before," he starts, "but I was the one who went shooting my mouth off, and it wasn't keen. There was no call to making a scene. I'm sorry."

Kolson thinks about that for a few seconds. "Apology accepted. I...could have been more diplomatic and much less insulting with my rebuke. Look, it's fine if you don't agree with me all the time, but magic is something I've spent almost my whole life studying. I know this stuff and the least you can do is respect that. Anyway, if you want to shake on it, I'll consider the matter closed."

Rory offers his hand. "Fine," he says while shaking. " Still, I have a hangup about explaining everything with magic just because it's possible."

Rory wrote:Rory offers his hand. "Fine," he says while shaking. " Still, I have a hangup about explaining everything with magic just because it's possible."

"It's understandable. You don't really deal with forces you can's see, touch, taste, or feel. I do. You have to take some of that on faith. That's not always easy for people to wrap their heads around. If you want to talk more about this later I'd be happy to, but it just occurred to me that I really need to talk to Z. I'll be right back."

He rides over to Z. "Hey, Z. We need to talk."

When He/She comes over Kolson whispers, "I still have my sample of the Bloodthorn. Is there a procedure for declaring hazardous materials? I don't want to get us in trouble."

Z frowns, as the Bloodthorn had clearly skipped their mind. "That's... bad. If we were caught with that..." A moment's consideration. "I could try to hide it, if it's important enough to you to keep it, but it'd be best if we burnt it." They raise their finger, a small fire beginning at its tip.

Zeiss heard Kolson's and Z's conversation.

"They will cast Scan on our equipment. They do that at each major cities. I do not think it would be wise to hide it Z. Unless you have some skills we don't know about..."

"I'd rather not lose the sample. Are you sure there is no way to keep it guys?"

Z looks irritated. "Give me the Bag of Holding carrying it. The entire bag."

"Here you go." He hands Z the Bag.

"Z, now that you have the bag, just burn that thing. It's not worth you going to prison."

"Like I said, I'd prefer to keep it but I'll understand. Whatever you think is best."

Z only glares at Zeiss before, looking resigned, holsters the bag on something you don't see on their person. Before your eyes it vanishes completely. "There. Now if the Lycanthrope up there is done, let's hurry up and wait." They fold their arms dourly.

Tabran:
After climbing to the top of the wagon and trying to finagle a way to see further, you manage to see what you believe is a large crowd gathered at the southern gate, where this road leads, with a large number of armed guards present.

"hurry up and wait anyone would think you were a yellow mage "

"Thank you." He tips his hat to Z.

A few minutes passes since Z took the bag. Zeiss gets off his horse and goes to Z.

"Get on my horse."

Z turns and stares at Zeiss, not confrontationally but the unspoken question of 'why' lingers in the air.

"You don't have to get on it. Just take care of it. I can ask someone else if you prefer."

Z wordlessly grabs the reins and walks over, holding the horse steady.

With that done, Zeiss takes a papyrus and writes on it. When he finished, he goes to Kolson, forces it into his hand and disappear into the line that is behind them.

Spoiler:

Snarg pats the seat of Zeiss' riderless horse and hoists himself up. He gives a wink to Z and kicks back in the saddle, smiling.

A few hours pass as the line slowly files its way up to the 100' tall stone walls of Al-Jalima. Even from hear you can hear the roar of the city, but the tone seems... off. You are not hearing fear so much as uncertainty, and anger.

When you finally reach the checkpoint they do a surprisingly brief search of the group, manual and magical, performing what you can tell are high level Scans but come up with nothing. However they do eye Snarg rather strangely before giving you the go-ahead to step through the gate.

As your wagon goes through the gate you realize what the real holdup has been; there are crowds of people, of every race you've ever seen, hundreds upon hundreds of people surging against a line of Naverre soldiers. They look angry, and confused. There are shouts from the crowd in every language you know, shouting about injustice and 'betrayal by our own'. Several people spot Snarg and, in Undercommon, cry out at him;

Spoiler:

The city-scape of Al-Jalima itself is nothing but one massive swarm of chaos and noise right now. The normally beautific and quiet realm, situated in long red canyons with cooling mists wafting from overhands and marble pillars supporting large, open buildings with no walls... all of it seems an unnoticed backdrop.

Zeiss doesn't understand the reaction of the crowd. He looks surprised. He then goes around the place to ask people about what is happening.

Spoiler:

"this is odd we need info im going to go see what i can find"

Spoiler:

Zeiss didn't get any information. The people weren't calm. He looks around to see of he could find his colleagues. If not, he would go for the Hub.

Feeling insecure in the presence of a mob of angry citizens, Rory stepped back with his hand on his axe, ready to raise it in defense.