THE KILLING FIELDS
Bullying his way to the front of the group, the cleric spoke abruptly
Aramil searched the hard faces of the Tolxen warriors and asked directly " Why would we be confused for such a heinous act?"
That night, small cooking fires were circled around the crossroads. It seemed that the guards were on alert and wanted to keep the area safe rather than return to their village.
StarPoint Raven set up their own camp next to the hut as Orcendro allayed fears onto the others that the party was here on official business of the king. Not many seemed to change attitude; somehow 'Raven's' presence was involved with the tragedy.
The night passed away slowly; tensions were high and the team had trouble sleeping.
MYCRAN 5 ~ 7 AM: The party arose on a horn blast from a scout and they followed behind fifty men who marched in double file westward and north on the spice trail to Zastion. Breakfast was eaten during travel and no words were spoken except the monk who dispersed the rations he bought everyone in town.
3 PM: Afternoon rain suddenly drizzled out of the billowing clouds overhead. The reek of the swamp seemed to amplify; the humidity of the thick air stuck to the skin like tape. {60F}
5 PM: Then the calamity fell before them. As the men reached the far end of the swamp road, they dispersed onto a horrible scene. Small blazes were scattered throughout a 5- acre territory outside of the fens and the carnage struck a sickening chord throughout. In immediate view, racks and barrels were bashed open and bodies of men, riddled with arrows, littered the grounds. Among the wreckage, the smoke hung heavy in the morning air, cloaking the scene in a grey cloud. The rain fell harder and soaked garments thoroughly as the team picked their way among the wreckage.
Women, and even babies, were found lying scattered on the grounds; toys only inches from little outstretched hands.
" Any survivors?!" yelled a conscript from atop an overturned canopied wagon.
Torynth stepped forward onto Gresmo as he passed by them in a shocked state
Nerendil looked silently at the rest of the caravan. Eyeing a dead rum runner with an axe lodged in his head, he spoke directly
Gailwind sighed as if he was ready to cry " This is all too much. Bethlun was warned, yet still our finest could not prevent this catastrophe from happening. What does this mean for our mission??"
" There is no way we turn back to the king without results! Delaying or even cancelling our mission is not an option. We will stick together and investigate further."
The dwarf firmly stomped his warhammer into the ground and looked at the others as if waiting for someone to argue with him.
Gresmo seemed agitated " Had you not understood what I explained last night mage? You are all strangers here! What do they know of your secret doings in the fens anyway?"
Salimen agreed with the druid that the fellowship should change course and seek Rokasia.
Gulius replied sharply " No, we will see to this caravan. We aren't leaving here until we get some answers."
Gresmo let a smile abstractly cross his face " If its' the carnage you wish to view, all the better for the official report. We will lead you there in the morning. For now, camp here and get some rest."
'Raven' noticed as they traveled, although these men were soldiers of Tolx, that they seemed inexperienced in the true fashion of warfare.
Orcendro responded grimly " We haven't found any last night and I doubt we'll find any at 'tall."
" What did this?" The monk's gaze moved to the soldiers.
The foreman shook his head " We don't know, but whatever did this weren't any creatures from the swamp. This slaughter was too systematic and they fled south in full force."
" I believe we should continue on. We may catch up to those bandits in time."
Gresmo cocked his head " Then if these are the ones whom you seek, you'd better hurry. They got two day's start on you." He then balked at another thought " What are you all going to do once you reach them anyhow? You think you can capture 'em when an organized caravan of a hundred men couldn't even fend them off?