Liberty Beguiling

As the arcane wall flickers and fades, Petros sees his chance to help Alanis.  Gods, if you are with me, then prove it now.  Descend upon my enemy and burn it away. As Petros prays for the gods to reign holy fire down upon the centaur creature, a soft glowing light shimmers near the centaur, who nimbly avoids coming into contact with the light.  Every night.  Every night you come to me.  Call me to greatness.  And when I get the smallest inkling to heed your advice...your commands...you forsake me like this.  What pitiful powers you employ to entice your would-be servant.  Its my own steel and skill that will pull me through this battle, not your glamour and pomp.

The remaining spellcasters towards the back and of the hall break and flee, heading for an exist near the top table. One of the wounded draws a potion from his clothes and quickly swallows it as he runs. The man who Luthein has grappled on the ground somehow manages to slip free of the transformed elf's grasp... only to meet Amiri's blade, which takes his head from his shoulders as he rises. The monstrous creature facing Alanis also looks around at its new selection of targets and flicks its tail sending a bolt of lightning flying across the hall! With preternatural reflexes Amiri dives to the side, while Tartuccio takes cover behind his table. However, Petros is hit by the bolt head on. For a moment he sees the future before him, he is writing on the ground covered in horrific electrical burns, but then the ring on his finger sparkles and events take another path. Just in time he dives to the side, sheltered from the worst of the magical blast. Luthien, on the other hand is caught vulnerable on the ground and the lightning wracks the wood elf's body. She screams and writhes in pain, before it leaves her smoking unconscious on the floor of the banquet hall. Petros takes 19 points of lightning damage -> 6/32 Vigour. Luthien takes 38 points of lightning damage -> 0/35 Vigour, 0/35 Wounds.

"No you don't!" Alaris snarls as she sees the creature spew lightning over the warriors who have come to her aid. The runed blade flashes in her hands and the monstrous, spiked tail falls severed to the ground. The beast's form flickers for a moment, as though it is about to dissipate back to whence it came, but then it begins to stretch and swell up as though something is growing beneath its hide. The monster's skin splits as its muscles pop through and it grows to twice its former size, bellowing furiously at the general. Alanis is unphased and her blade sings as she fends off the wicked claws that swing at her. Aleixo's action.

Stepping carefully back down from the table using the chair behind him, Aleixo sets his spear and charges the beast. He leaps just before the strike, raising his spear and driving the point at it's shoulder. It dodgest awkwardly twisting to the side, but Aleixo takes full advantage of the awkwardness of it's movement, thrusting a perfectly aimed strike deep at the base where horse becomes bulbous twisted man-demon. The point of his spear strikes home, firmly dragging hair and ooze from the swollen flesh in with it.

Stunned by the force of the enemy's assault Xan pauses, the brilliant blue light dissipates  almost immediately but in the confusion it takes a moment to readjust, when he does the healer sees the scorched form of Luthien twitching for a moment before going worryingly still.  In a rage he screams out incoherent and launches the spear at the creature, a cold smile coming as it hits and hits the monstrous being but he is already moving, sprinting across the space between them to the elven shapeshifter's form.  Skidding on his knees over the last metre he stares down at the smoking mess of fur and elf wondering if her unexpected and, if he is honest with himself, terrifying transformation has changed her physiology in any way. Checking for life signs and finding only a very faint trace he calls forth a spell he has rarely had need to use before. A gentle warmth escapes him flooding into the elven woman, the wounds do not heal but he feels the danger lessen, he will not lose her, yet. But unless the others still have magic he will have to resort to his mundane skills with medicine to do any further good.

Charging up around the far side of the monster, Amiri slides alongside it, bringing her greatsword out in a wide arc that slashes at its legs. Tumbling to her feet, the barbarian leaps at the creature, lashing out once more with a heavy overhead swing. "DIE DEMON!" She screams. Sval's action.

Sval ducks under the beast's flank while the barbarian woman distracts it. He slides under, sword extended, cutting a deep gash from front to back of its horse body. He braces himself, expecting to be covered in slime as the creature's entrails spill onto him -- but with a shimmering flash, the creature disappears in a vortex of purple energy.  He straightens and scans the room for more combatants. He sees one fleeing, and gives a quick pursuit to scare it off.

Taking advantage of the distraction provided by Sval, Valerie comes running up behind the fleeing mage and drives her blade up through his ribs and out of his throat before he can run any further. Tartuccio lets out a self-satisfied cry of triumph as the invaders are routed and slips out from behind the table he has been hiding under, nimbly side-stepping Petros as he hurries to the general's side. As Jacinth catches her breath, she looks over the trashed banquet hall and salutes the survivors. "Thank you, all, for your valour and bravery. The enemy was strong, but you were stronger, and that means that I have made the right choice! Just as I thought, there are worthy leaders among you. I'm grateful for the courage and sense that you have shown while defending the mansion. However, this attack means that we have less time than I thought. Someone already knows of our plans and is acting against us. You will begin your expedition immediately!" "General Alanis,"  Tartuccio interjects with a deep bow. " Please . I know who arranged this attack. The vile Lord of Olympia, Irus! What's more, I know who among us works for him..." After a dramatic pause, Tartuccio points a finger towards... "Petros! Show everyone the ring that you are wearing! You think that I wouldn't recognise Irus's seal? That's why he wasn't killed - the assassins recognised him as one of their own by this signet ring!"

As the Gnome rushes past Petros, he places a hand on the smoking elf next to him, channeling some of his own life energy into the woman as he catches his own second wind.  Hearing the accusation by the gnome, Petros lets out an amused chortle, standing, sheathing his sword, and saying "So that's why you gave it to me.  I should have known you were even more rotten than you smell.  Amiri, would you be so kind as to prevent any sudden reprisals by the little man while I explain?"   Petros holds up his hand so all can see. "Earlier this battle, Tartuccio there, if that's his name, gave me this ring to protect me.  Linzi, and Amriri you may recall right after we interrogated the assassin earlier, I asked Tartuccio what the ring does, since I had no idea how it was supposed to 'protect me.'  And whether or not you remember that, I am sure you will recall how I personally impaled several of these men, how I saved men dying in the fire, and how I found the rune that was keeping us from coming to General Alanis's defense.  You will also recall the Assassin that we interrogated reported that it was, in fact, Demos Rondellis who hired these men.  Finally, General" Petros says, slightly waving his fingers in a curl, "I believe your keen eye might recall no such ring on my person earlier during...the feast."  Turning to look down at Tartuccio, Petros continues with a confident smile, "Little man, I do wonder whether you chose exactly the wrong man to frame."

"Yes, such a gambit would be typical of Irus and his henchmen..." the general acknowledges, "and yet, it still seems suspicious. There's definitely a spy among us, but who? Tartuccio or Petros? All I have is one word against another. I'm afraid that you're both under suspicion." "I bet my life that the spy is anyone but Petros!" Amiri declares loudly as she wipes her blade down on one of the corpses. "I saw how he dealt with those creeps with my own eyes! A true warrior - I'd go with him through hell and high water! This purple crook, on the other hand..." the barbarian spits on the floor with contempt. "He's got the eyes of a spy and the mug of a spy!" "General Alanis," Tartuccio interjects once more, "don't listen to this thick-headed barbarian - she doesn't know what she is talking about. During the attack, Petros showed his true colours! He forced us to break into the armoury and rob it!"

Petros's cheeks color at Amiri's undeserved praise, but his eyes widen in shock at the new accusation by Tartuccio. "Wow, that is an audatious claim, Tart.  Linzi, Amiri, is that how you remember it?"

Still kneeling in front of Luthien Xan feels his anger grow as the general debates with the others, his emotions grant him another spark of power and he shapes it into a spell of healing. The warmth flows out of him again, seeping into the core of the elven woman, trying to repair the catastrophic damage the lightning caused, he didnt have the strength to do much now but he felt a small change, her breathing deepening slightly, some of the burns healing little. It was a start, but he wasnt satisfied. "Yes, yes clearly the little bastard is the spy, he spent the whole fight hiding under a table from what I could see, whereas Petros was in the thick of it, risking his life to save you. I know who I'd believe. But regardless, can you all possibly see your way to helping here please. This young woman may not be dying anymore but she is in need of proper medical attention or a significant amount of magical aid." Throwing up his hands he exclaims "Do any of these dead bodies have any healing potions on them for example? Could someone check?" He looks down at Luthien again as she stirs "Rest now, your wounds are very severe, I dont think you should move unless you have to. I'd be fairly sure you've still got some internal injuries beyond the strength of my magic to heal, at least until I've had a chance to rest."

Sval switches back on at Xan's words. Color floods back into the world and he beings to search for healing potions while still listening to the debate. "When you decide which one of you is the bad guy, let me know."

"The casters!" Aleixo who had been watching awkwardly with nothing to add and feeling he couldn't interrupt. "One of them drank a potion as he left, perhaps his fellows also carried them." He hurries over to check the bodies by the table. "Else the ones outside. The leader there too, drank a potion, perhaps he had more."

"Either way," the general notes with a raised eyebrow as Linzi and Amiri both shake their heads, "reaching for weapons when thrust unexpectedly into battle is more than reasonable." Valerie nods in agreement. "A sound decision. Sometimes one must act at one's own risk and peril. Until crossing the boundaries of what is allowed, showing initiative is no crime." Harrim shakes his head. "When faced with death, it is insane to stop and question whether you may be breaking some law or rule. Even more insane would be asking for forgiveness for making the right decision." "What about that trick he pulled right before we came in here?" Tartuccio demands, clearly refusing to drop the matter. "He knew very well that you were fighting the enemy, but instead of rushing to help you, he dallied as long as he could! Dropping everything to save people from the fire, even though the guards were handling things just fine! Petros was obviously hoping to show up too late and find you already dead!"

Xan reaches into his robe, drawing out the medallion that rests underneath, holding it and focusing he bends his will to the gnome, searching his thoughts, looking to find something that could persuade the general of his guilt, and exonerate Petros.  As the magic leaves him he feels it undulate across the room before swirling invisibly around Tartuccio, but unlike the times he has used it before this time Can cannot reach his target, a wall, a barrier of some kind is locking him out, suspicious but unwilling to let the spell be entirely wasted the healer moves it around the room over the folk Petros has collected up but learns nothing of note. It crosses his mind that he has heard of magical items that can cause this effect, a shield against intrusions into a person's mind. Personally it makes a lot of sense, but it makes more sense to Xan when a person is a spy., staring at the gnome he decides to confront this head on. "General, if I may? I doubt you have any reason to mistrust me, at least I hope not. I have fought in your defence, although you seem to have needed little help. You wish to ascertain which man is a spy, I would help you if you allow me to." 

Azul keeps his sword unsheathed but angled down. His amethyst eyes calmly taking in the situation as he breathes deeply, working at returning his heart rate to normal and slowing his breath. As he breathes he remembers a conversation he had with his father.  It was after an intense sparring session, they had gone head to head for an hour refining Azul's technique with the sword and shield. While they sparred his father asked him a series of complex philosophical riddles, with Azul growing increasingly frustrated at his inability to solve them. After they finished his father imparted what Azul considered his greatest lesson " The heat of battle can cloud the mind of even the wisest man. If you are ever faced with a decision, start by first breathing deeply and then by slowing the beating of your heart. Take in the situation as a whole and only act once you are calm. Don't let the fury of battle drive you to foolishness." Sofia lands on his shoulder as he finishes his breathing, and he remembers that Petros did not have a ring on earlier when they discussed the sources of their magics. Azul speaks up "General, Petros was not wearing this ring during the feast. And all of us witnessed him fighting the assassins with blade and magic while you were trapped, and even you have seen that their summoned beast hurled lightning at him earlier. From what I saw the Gnome spent the fight hiding under a table. Doing less than nothing to aid our efforts. It's easy to see that the Gnome has tried to set Petros up. Especially since Petros was hand picked for this mission  by the mayor himself, it's obvious that the Gnome has over played his hand General." Azul then moves to block Tartuccio's path.

Wishing that he could do more for Luthien than what he already had done with his meager healing abilities, and frustrated they seemed to accomplish nothing, Petros stays where he is, leaning against the table edge, one foot off the ground, keeping his hands visible and making no sudden movements.  He wasn't quite sure how to handle this situation, but most of those present seemed to be speaking, if not in his favor, then at least not pushing against him.  He was innocent of this accusation...somewhat of an anomaly, he admitted to himself with ironic humor.  He almost spoke up again in his defense, but Xan, who had already come down on his side, seemed to have some way of breaking this impasse.  Petros would hold his tongue for now....Not exactly something he was used to doing.

"I know nothing of any if this as we were not here and know little of either of these two, but if Xan says he can discover more on it I would trust to that with my life. Now, perhaps searching the bodies may yield further evidence, brands on equipment, coins or the like." Aleixo heads to leave and bring the bodies in from outside to line up with the others and strip down to check for anything useful. 

Xan gives Aleixo a nod in gratitude as the larger man finishes speaking. He then looks over the gnome trying to identify what item he might possess that could block his spell.

"Really, Tartuccio?" Alanis remarks with a raised eyebrow. "You're seriously trying to blame Petros for saving people from a fire?" "Athena spare me from ever having to make such a choice..." Linzi adds, "but Petros behaved decently, as a true leader!" Jaethal does not appear convinced. "A true leader is someone who has their priorities straight. Not someone who would put a valuable ally's life in danger for the sake of some servant." "Enough squabbling!" The general cuts in sharply, silencing the arguing adventurers. "It's impossible to be entirely certain who can be trusted and the risk of entrusting the entire affair to a spy is too great. Two teams will head north. One will be headed by Petros and the other by Tartuccio. That way I'll know that at least one group can be counted on to serve my interests." "General Alanis," Valerie intercedes with a respectful bow. "Most of those who were to set off for the savanna have been killed. Those who yet live will require help. Please allow me to join the expedition." Jacinth sighs and nods in assent.  "I'm sad to lose such a talented warrior, but you're right, Valerie. They have greater need of you right now. Go, and may Apollo keep you. Which of the two teams would you prefer to accompany?" "If Petros allows, I would join his team," Valerie decides. "He seems a worthy commander in my eyes." "Commanders, military leaders..."  Harrim scoffs. "All these laws and rules are but dust and vanity. I supposed I will accompany Tartuccio." "Petros is good in battle," Jaethal adds, "but I don't like all this spiritual agonising. I prefer those who can act without wasting time helping every little peasant. Those like Tartuccio." "Oh, please ," Linzi jeers in return. "Tartuccio just wants to take all the credit for himself and be done with it. Athena spare me from such allies. Petros, I'm going with you. You're a hero worthy of my quill!" "I don't even need to think!" Amiri barks out with a laugh. "Petros, I'm coming with you. As for you, you purple toad, just wait until we meet along the way - I'll be sure to hang your rotten spy guts from the trees!"

Azul sheathes his blade moving away from Tartuccio and says "Choosing between someone who cowers while others are fighting or one who is willing to rescue those of little standing, as well as risk himself in direct combat does not take much thought.  I do not know much about either of them, but siding with Petros is an easy choice. Though I do feel that you are making a mistake by allowing this Gnome command of one of the teams."

Aleixo glances uneasily at Sval and Xan. "We are not ones to follow usually. I will go as they say, but my mind is that we shall head that way and side with whoever is doing the right thing as we see it. I would feel more comfort if Xan could judge as he asked." Aleixo puts down another body and begins to look through the belongings for any signs of contracts or affiliation.

Luthiens eye slowly start to open and for a second they're still bright yellow and beast like before they fade back to their normal dull ember hue as well as the pupils dilate back to normal. She then struggles to pull herself up into a seated position a grunt pain escapes her as she grabs her side. Looking up to Xan who stands close to her,  " Hanta Mellon, thank you my friend, I owe you my life, I take it the battle is over, damn I was just getting started," her eyes dart around the room noticing the tension and people lining up as if to take sides in an argument, "whats going on here?"

" It was my pleasure, it is why I am here after all." The healer replies with a small chuckle, nodding towards the others he whispers "We are being asked to choose who we will travel with, but you should know that it seems certain that the gnome is s spy, why he isn't in chains already is beyond me but the general must have a plan. You are in no shape to be going anywhere though, rest and magic is what you need, and lots of both." Rising he nods to Petros, "I will ride with you, the gnome is a snake, I have no doubt of that, but Aleixo is right. I will not follow a path to evil, no matter the leader. We do the right thing or i will walk away."

Sval sheaths his blade and looks warily at both Petros and Tartuccio. At Xan's words, he moves to stand with Xan, Aleixo, and the others. He stares at the gnome, the light from the flames flickering across the blackened scars and blood-splattered face.  "I won't walk away. Instead I'll kill the one that asks us to fight for an evil cause. Whomever they may be."

Luthien is moved by The loyalty shown by her new companions, and the lack of concern for her transformation, she struggles to her feet before resting again on a chair next to her.  “I too will follow Petros and my new allies to the very pits of the abyss if I have too. The evil that done here will never feel the light of this world again if I have anything to do about it.”

"I would join you in that, Sval,"  Petros replies with a nod.  "No time to waste then.  Get your things, get your horses saddled, and we'll meet by the front gates in half an hour.  Linzi, Sval, please come with me.  Amiri, would you be so kind as to grab anything I left in my room, please?  Shouldn't be much.  Valerie, can you see to making sure everyone in our group has a horse, please?  If you can requisition a cart or wagon for Luthien, that would be even better. And Azul, Aleixo, and Xan, can you please gather anything useful from these men and see to Luthien?"

Sval gives a wary, knowing look to Aleixo, as if to say, We'll follow him for now. But we forge our own path if he turns out to be unworthy of our allegiance. Sval turns and follows Petros, thinking that this is likely the first steps down a long, perilous path -- and only the gods knew what waited for them at the end.

"Give him his moment, we can make sure he does the dishes after breakfast tomorrow." Xan calls over to Aleixo, before turning back to Luthien. "I was serious about your health, you are taking considerable risks if you come along, but saying that I will keep healing you, as much as I can and I hope you'll be back to your best before we run into anything too deadly. Now, I should try and find some more medical supplies and healing potions ideally." He then starts searching any of the bodies which haven't yet been picked over.

"Alright," the general declares. "We have two teams. To avoid unnecessary conflict on the road, you'll each take a different route north. Tartuccio's team will travel via Fort Naxos - the garrison commander will provide you with all the help you need. Petros will take his team to Orion Leventis's trading post - he's been complaining about Capricornus's bandits for a while now. There, you'll be provided with all the necessary travel supplies." Alanis turns to focus her gaze on Petros. "Petros, your words are convincing, but I can't afford to trust words alone. I know all too well how convincing traitors and spies can be. I hope you'll forgive me this precaution and that you'll demonstrate your innocence with your deeds." "While you're away, the city guard will investigate the night's events and learn who in Appolis is working for Olympia," she adds, looking back towards everyone present. "Now, farewell! This battle was but the first ordeal along your path, and you overcame it as true champions of Appolis. May the obstacles that follow also fall at your feet! Fear nothing, my friends, and return victorious!" Tartuccio huffs and stalks off out of the banquet hall with his small group of followers, while Amiri goes to fetch Petros's belongings as requested. Most of the fallen assassins appear to bear only their weapons, minor trinkets such as spellcasting foci, and a handful of coin coming to a total of 47 gold pieces and 49 silver pieces.

Aleixo shakes his head back at Sval and Xan. He scowls at Petros as he leaves, his jolly, relaxed nature that was usually constant, clouded now by clear irritation. "I already said I was doing that."  He grumbles before going back to what he was doing. Once Petros and his friends leave for their own tasks he speaks up. "Just so we are all thinking the same thing, he is not in charge. I would hate for people to become confused in battle, we have fought well together and have shown restraint and cooperation." Turning to Azul he says " You were a worthy companion in the shield wall outside, I hope to fight with you at my side again."  He asks everyone, " We must not break ranks or move from our purpose on his imagined command, do we agree?" 

Before the General leaves Azul looks at the state that Luthien is in and worries that the Elf will need more medical attention before they leave. He asks the General "I know your resources are stretched fairly thin, but it would greatly aid our efforts if you could have one of your healers look Luthien before we leave. She was wounded in our efforts to help free you from the assassins  and the beast they summoned. She fought honorably on your behalf, anything you can provide to help her would be greatly appreciated." While Azul declared his support for Petros he was a bit surprised with how quickly he took to issuing commands. Hearing Aleixo he realizes that he was not the only one who was unsettled. Azul nods and says in his gravelly accented voice " I fear there will be growing pains with this new group. We all have very different backgrounds and personalities" He pauses and looks around at his new companions, and continues again with a more diplomatic tone  "My clan typically handles leadership as a collective, with at least all of the elders weighing in on major decisions. With us being newly acquainted, and all very talented individuals I think it may be prudent to make it clear we are team first. With Petros being the face of our team but all decisions tactical or otherwise being decided as a collective group." He then pats Aleixos on the shoulder smiling as he says "You fought with great skill and honor, my friend. I think with this mission we will have many chances to perfect our technique" 

Luthien is in incredible pain. Her lower back burns and a stabbing sensation shoots straight up her spine whenever she moves. The general looks on in pity when Azul asks about a healer. "The fire will have been visible for quite some distance - reinforcements should arrive soon. A priest will, of course, give her whatever care she needs." Over the next half hour or so the last of the flames are extinguished and the general's own forces stream in to relieve the lord mayor's guards and secure the manor. It seems that the Samaras family hid themselves in a secret room at the first sign of trouble and were thus able to escape harm. Luthien's wounds are bandaged and treated with salve by a healer, but she is left with the impression that it will be several weeks before she truly recovers.

Near to her side throughout the treatment by the healer Xan stays close to Luthien after they leave. "You know, you dont have to come, another injury like that could be your last inless you wait until you have fully recovered. It is a hard world out there, but if you do come I will use as much of my strength to keep healing the wounds as I can. No matter whether Alanis or Petros for that matter care enough we will be sure to keep you as safe as we can. I know you wont ask for special attention but you need to take it, please."

Petros leads Sval and Linzi down the hall and asks Sval about his companions.

Sval clears his throat, buying himself some time to think up an answer. He wasn't spoken to directly very often, so he rarely had to speak -- much less answer questions. After a moment, he says, "I only really know Aleixo and Xanathos. And even then, we've only met Xan on occasion. Aleixo and I have traveled together for a while now. Xan has patched us up when we've needed it. Luthien and Azul, we met at a tavern earlier today. They seem reliable enough. What about you?"

"Ah, well, I'm a city boy, mostly.  Haven't been far outside of Hellenia, but am looking forward to this adventure now.  I'm a recent acquaintance of the Mayor, to be honest, and my relationship with his daughter was relatively brief.  I guess I made an impression. You say you've traveled with Aleixo for a while?  He looks like a military man.  Does he have much combat experience?"

He raises an eyebrow at the mention of the mayor's daughter, but says nothing on the matter. "He does,"  Sval says. "Was part of a guild of misthios , for a while. He knows what he's doing with spear and shield."

As they arrive at the Mayor's study, Petros opens the door saying, "I'd like you two to get a good look at this map and, if you need, either copy down the relevant parts or take whatever notes you need to find our way.  You two will be our navigators.  On the road, I'd like you to scout for our party, Sval.  And Linzi, you will stay with the main party and keep us on course.  After we make camp, I'd like to meet with you two to go over plans for the next day.  There should be paper and ink on the desk you can use.  Sound good?"

"I can do that," Sval says. He pulls a few pieces of parchment out of his pack -- his maps, detailing his journeys so far. A few landmarks, a hastily scratched trail, and some poor attempts at artistry detail a journey from the southern coast near the Norscan Isles, through Breannia, and into Hellenia. He lines up these maps with the map of the northern territories and takes some quick notes. His copied maps look incredibly poor. They made perfect sense to him, but anyone else's attempts to read them would be short lived. He looks over at Linzi as he scribbles down a few more notes and gives a short, sheepish grin.  "Don't worry. If I have a good idea of where we're going, I won't lose my way, unless there are any arcane barriers."

"as much as it is the smarter path, I'd rather stay with you all. I'm certain my expertise in medicine and your ability in healing I'll overcome this. and to be Honest, I fear I might be in just the same amount of danger if i stay here alone, who knows if they might find it necessary  to comeback and finish the job." she pause for a moment to truly take in the damage she's sustained and smiles, "perhaps for the time being I'll rain arrows from afar until my prowess is back to normal." as a surge of pain flows through her, she attempts to hide it with a smile.

Xan nods sympathetically "I understand, but I would be wrong to not try and get you to rest. You'll be able to keep this old man safe then while the others are in the shield wall trading blows, I think  I could see this working out." He looks over the elven woman again "I have healed a great many people ove the years, the ones who die are the ones who dont seek help, so tell me if you feel your injuries are worsening, at this point I don't know if even horse riding will prove too much we have to be careful with you." Laying a hand on her shoulder he nods comfortingly "Hopefully during the trip we are about to depart on we will have a little bit of peaceful time before the action and I can use my gift to repair some of the worst of it." 

Linzi chuckles good-naturedly at Sval's hurried sketch and presents Petros with a concise, but well-drawn representation of the relevant regions from the map on the wall. Half an hour after the general's rescue, the nine companions meet, as promised, outside the front gates to the manor grounds with their horses and travelling gear.

"You know what, this is ridiculous. We were all going to sleep a while back and then we got into a fight which tested us to the limits, I mean Luthien almost died, and now you want us to leave straightaway? Not me, I'm going back to the inn, sleeping and having breakfast, then I'll be happy to join you all if you are still around. Who's with me?" Xan smoothly gets into the saddle with the intention of riding off immediately.

After leaving Linzi and Sval to copy the map, Petros goes to Alanis to get the charter they needed.

Aleixo mounts his horse. "I'm with you Xan, we need a rest after all that. Travelling hungry and tired is foolish. And I wouldn't leave you and Luthien alone."

Petros is presented with an ornately written scroll marked with the seal of the Lord Mayor of Appolis. Be it so known that the bearer of this charter has been charged by General Jacinth Alanis of Appolis, acting upon the greater good and authority vested within them by the office of the Mayor of Appolis, has granted the right of exploration and travel within the wilderness region known as the Hellenian Savanna. Exploration should be limited to an area no further than thirty-six miles east and west and sixty miles north of Orion Leventis’s Trading Post. The carrier of this charter should also strive against banditry and other unlawful behaviour to be encountered. The punishment for unrepentant banditry remains, as always, execution by sword or rope. So witnessed on this 21st day of Artem, under watchful eye of the Lordship of Appolis and authority granted by Lord Ioannis Samaras, current Mayor of Appolis.

Azul eager to begin the journey, takes a breath to argue in favor of setting out now, but looks at Luthien. She will need rest and more medical care, traveling now would be foolish. He exhales and says "Rest would the wise choice, we will need to move quickly tomorrow though". He then mounts his horse and waits for the rest of the party