RPGTopia

Randy crossed his arms, narrowing his eyes at the Water Elemental. "What the hell do you want? I'm a little busy here!"

"Well, what exactly are you two doing out here?" Jared replied, The glow coming from the mark around his eye dying out a bit, but still easily noticable. He was wondering why the two people ahead of him were out so late at night, but then he just asked himself the same question in his mind soon afterwards...

Not trusting the man, Randy replied, "Believe me when I say you don't need to worry about it..."

"Look, if you need help, I can help you," Jared responded to the man, knowing encounters like these usually lead up to events like this. The man moved forward a step, but didn't go any further, watching to see if either figure would make a move to attack him, at very least...

"Look, we're fine, really," Ivy said, stepping to Randy's side. "we're out..." She cast around for a reasonable explanation. "Hiking," she said finally.

Randy looked at Ivy, paused, then nodded. "Yeah, right, we're hiking. We don't need help. We're not lost or anything, just... hiking..."

"Well, than I should just get going," Jared finally said, shrugging as he continued on. The man quickly stopped and turned back to the two, before asking, "wait, if you're hiking, how come you brought nothing with you? You seem to empty-handed to actually be hiking in the first place..."

"We're camped out that way," Ivy said, waving vaguely in the direction she and Randy had been headed. We were heading back because I fell." the lies came smoothly, surprising her. She'd never been very good at lying...

Randy simply nodded in agreement. "Yeah, that! Now can you please shoo? We're busy doing... hiking things. You know how it is."

Jared was starting to get the feeling he was being lied to, before asking one other question. "Well, why'd you leave your stuff out in the open? Anything or anyone could be out there and just easily steal it all," he said, his expression seeming to change as he looked at the two figures...

"You ever heard of a tent, pal?" Randy said, obviously annoyed with Jared's persistence...

"Yeah, I have. Now let's not get into a conversation about those and talk about them all night, shall we?" Jared replied, wondering why the two he had just met would actually leave their equipment and tent out in the woods, making it vulnerable to either be stolen or scavanged from...

Randy sighed. "Look, our tent's only a short walk away. Can you cut it out with the interrogation already? Who do you think you are anyway?"

"Hey, I was only asking if you needed any help at all. I didn't feel like starting this up," Jared said over his shoulder, starting to head towards the village again. He didn't even seem to care about it anymore, and wanted to get to trading for new items for himself and his dad...

"Good," Randy said, not really caring if Jared heard. Turning to Ivy, he whispered, "You ready to keep moving now, before that guy decides to come back for whatever reason?"

"I can keep going - for a little while anyway," Ivy said, wincing as she flexed her injured leg. She started forward, limping but determined.

"Alright, let's--" Randy was cut off by a familiar hissing voice. "Long time no see, Randy." Randy froze, but then rolled his eyes. "D*mmit, Nabonidus, don't do that! Where the hell were you?" Nabonidus appeared out of the forest like a ghost, and hissed, "Saving Stryker's life. You?" Randy's eyes widened. "Wait, you mean you stopped Slade?" "Yes. Temporarily, anyway. She's badly hurt, and I need you two to help me carry her back to her house, or at least somewhere where we can take care of her."

After the initial shock, Ivy whipped around to stare at Nabonidus. Stryker...was alive? She hadn't been murdered? But how badly was "badly hurt"? "Where is she?" Ivy asked, glad that her teacher was still alive, but afraid that they might still lose her.

Stryker had staggered to her feet after Nabonidus went for help, a little unsteady because of her wounded hip. She let her left eye close, looking around nervously with her good eye. He could be watching....waiting for me to turn my back like the coward he is. "Just....gotta rest....a while..." she murmured, backing up slowly, every step agonizing, until she felt bark hit her back. She slid to the ground, looking up at the branches above her head and trying to ignore the smell of burned flesh, clothing, and blood that seemed to linger. She felt unconsciousness tugging at her, urging her to give in to sweet darkness. Got to rest....

Nabonidus nodded in the direction he had come from. "A short walk that way. Is there a doctor in your village we can send her to?"

Ivy felt herself start to shake. "Rachael and her family were the ones who knew all about medicine..." she said, her fear making her vision blur. "And now they're dead, and the next village is days away....do either of you know any Light Elementals?" she asked, hope creeping into her tone.