Rendezvous Part 1

Year 5026, Pryin's Era Year: 236 Month: 03 Day: 13th

Shawn groggily opened his eyes, blinking several times, trying to wake himself up. As he rubbed his eyes, he began to be aware of his surroundings once more. The sun had just begun to rise as dawn approached. In a panic he looked around seeing Lawrence and Rose standing to the side talking.

Lawrence looked over noticing Shawn now awake, "Ah, we were just about to wake everyone."

"What? Why didn't you wake me?" Shawn incredulously.

Rose gave her armored shoulders a small shrug, "It looked like you needed the rest. Besides there was no threat."

"That's not the point."

"How so?" She asked.

"Ah, ignore him, Shawn is always scared of showing any weakness. I blame Oskar for that." Lawrence teased.

"Shut up old man." Shawn said as he picked himself up. Stretching as he looked around. Nothing out of the ordinary.

"I'll go wake everyone." Lawrence said as he headed back into the cave.

"So, you ready to keep moving?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, yeah."

***

The group tracked through the woods once more. The trip so far had been relatively silent, no signs of any danger. They should reach the city by late afternoon. There was an air of hope that was present from the group having survived the first day.

*Though there is a chance that these chaos worshippers are going to be a lot more active today.* Shawn thought to himself. Likely after a night of celebration of their victory and, Shawn assumed, that the city indeed began to hunt them down, these chaos worshippers have refocused their efforts. Still the closer towards the city, the less likely they were to encounter any trouble.

Rose suddenly paused and stood still seemingly trying to focus on something. Shawn looked at Rose in confusion, her helmet made it impossible for him to tell what she was thinking. Then Shawn began to hear something, it was faint, but he could hear what sounded like voices. Screaming voices. *She's got good hearing.* He thought

Shawn gave a quick scan of the area, no one near them. If they kept moving, they could avoid any conflict. Shawn looked back towards Rose; the armour was getting agitated. *Not going to happen, I guess.*

Rose's helmeted head quickly snapped towards a direction, "I hear something, I'll go check it out." Without another word she disappeared into trees heading a certain direction.

"Shouldn't you be following her?" Sara asked.

"Why?" Shawn asked.

"She is our only guide." Lawrence pointed out.

Shawn glanced at Sara and then towards Lawrence.

"Fine."

***

Shawn could see Rose ahead of him, nimbly running through the forest. Running past the uneven terrain and brambles in her way like they were nothing. Despite being completely clad in armour she moved without issue. Shawn followed closely behind her, following her trail, mimicking her movements as she navigated through the wilderness.

*She did say she grew up in a forest.* Shawn thought as he hoped over small ditch, the noise was getting closer. *But she's just showing off with that armour.* As he thought that, Rose had climbed over an incline and disappeared on to the other side, towards the direction of the noise.

Shawn as he approached the incline, he could here a few yells of surprise and clashing of weapons. Ah, she found them.

As he clambered over the incline, he poked out his head to get a better look of the situation while still hanging on the other side.

In his view was three bodies on the floor, two chaos worshippers and another man who was wore armour similar to that of the Esterwood caravan guards. Rose and two other Esterwood soldiers were clashing with five chaos worshippers.

From what Shawn gathered from looking at the situation it appeared that the two soldiers were attacked, and the chaos warriors were going to overwhelm them. That is before Rose intervened and got in the fight herself.

Shawn simply hung onto the incline and watched as the fight ensued. *Maybe I don't need to get involved.* He thought as Rose's introduction had changed the tide of the fight. Though they were still outnumbered. *I'll probably get flak for not helping.*

With that he climbed over and snuck behind one of the chaos warriors who had unknowingly retreated towards him.

Shawn crept up until he was just a step away from the chaos warrior, who was transfixed on Rose and the two other opponents.

Shawn gave small grin and introduced himself, "Hey."

The chaos warrior snapped around in surprise, giving Shawn a confused look. In before Shawn slammed him headfirst into a tree. The chaos warrior head cracked against the hardwood. Before being swung into another tree, giving another loud impact.

Shawn then tossed his opponent down the incline, landing with a thump.

This momentary distraction caused the other chaos warriors to turn towards him. Rose and the other two soldiers used the opportunity to strike down the remaining opponents.

With a quick, powerful single swing Rose was able to fell two of the chaos worshippers. With the other two being dealt with by the soldiers.

With the fight over the two soldiers quickly dropped their guards catching their breaths.

"Thank… you...." One of them said breathlessly.

"So... out of curiosity, why are you here?" Shawn asked the two once they recovered enough, arms crossed leaning on a tree.

"We were scouting out the place trying to find the chaos camps." One of them, a young man replied, barely older than Shawn. "You two are adventurers?"

"No." Shawn said.

"Yes." Rose replied.

Shawn looked over to Rose, "You're an adventurer?"

"Well, I travel for a reason." Rose said with a shrug.

"Well, she is, but I'm not. Why?" Shawn asked.

"Do neither of you know about the commission?" The young man asked.

"No, we were part of the caravan trail that was attacked." Rose explained.

"You are?!" The other soldier a woman exclaimed, shocked. "I didn't expect to run into any survivors here. Most of them have already been found."

"Yes. We were part of the back wagons that were attacked." Rose said. "We are apart of a larger group. The two of us came here to see what the noise was."

"Well, we're glad that you came when you did. You say that you have a whole group with you?" The man asked.

"Yeah, twenty-three others. Could you help escort us to the city?" Rose asked.

The two soldiers shared uncomfortable glance with one another.

"I'm not sure if that's possible right now." The man spoke up.

"Why not?" Shawn asked annoyed.

"Because we just found the chaos chief." The man quickly explained. "He's accompanied by their warlock as well, and a large group of worshippers."

"That's why they chased after us." The woman added.

Shawn stared at the two in disbelief. "Are you telling me that a massive group of chaos worshippers are approaching us?"

"Well… it isn't certain. But it is likely they are chasing us." The man said awkwardly.

"But now we have some time… before they realize that their advance group isn't arriving. We have time to alert everyone." The woman assured.

"We also have twenty-three people with us. How are you going to reach everyone?" Shawn said.

"With this." The woman said as she dug out a strange egg-shaped metal device. Magic runes were written around the device and a few of the internal pieces could be seen through small. Small metal parts, alongside other magical elements.

"I just need to activate this and send a message to everyone. Then all available hands will converge. I'll also tell them about the you guys. Then we'll be given new orders." She said.

"Alright we'll bring the others over while you send the message." Rose said.

"Alright then." The man said.

With that Rose headed back and Shawn followed suit.

"Well, we've found Esterwood soldiers." Rose said.

"Yeah, and we might be attacked by an army of chaos." Shawn said darkly.

"Is that any different from before?" Rose asked.

"I guess not." Shawn said with a shrug as he hopped over the same ditch he leapt over did earlier.