Keeping on the Path

I wrapped a rope around the dead Ganmudr and with the help of the others we pulled it out of the water. Thelora was busy mixing some chemicals together while I was segmenting the giant snake. I didn't want to spend too long fully harvesting so I just cut it up in large pieces and distributed it among our Storage Devices. After she was done with Thorarinn, Thelora gave me something to drink.

"The Janir Leech releases a pretty decent hallucinogenic. This should neutralize its effects." Thelora said. "Thorarinn took a major dose and will be asleep for a few hours. Someone's going to have to carry him until he wakes up."

"I'll take him." Cedric said.

"Do you think you can find our way back?" I asked Lariss.

"Shouldn't be too hard." She replied.

As we made our way towards the safe path we found out that the herbs Ilibert was burning didn't just keep regular insects at bay. Monstrous insects began to harass us constantly after we left the area of the fight. Whatever herbs our guide had left were in the belly of that other Ganmudr. They were weak enough that it didn't take much for us to kill them but they were slowing us down.

Even after Lariss found the safe path the insects continued to attack. They weren't as common but still were annoying. I did grab a few that might have more valuable parts and just checked the rest for monster cores. As night started to set in, Thelora called for us to stop on a large piece of land.

"Do you think it's really safe for us to stop? Didn't Ilibert say that monsters pass over the safe path at night?" Feadr said.

"If we stay in one spot we can set up a few wards of our own to keep them away. If we keep going, not only do we run the risk of being attacked multiple times, but it will be harder for Lariss to find the path markers." Thelora said.

I set up some air and earth wards, while Cedric set up some wards that deterred monsters from coming near us and Lariss hung up her bell. It took some time but we were able to dig a small pit and arraigned a few rocks to burn some herbs that would also help keep monsters away.

Thorarinn was the only one that set up a bed roll and slept through the night. The rest of us had high enough auras or mana cores that we wouldn't need to sleep for a few days. Currently the moons weren't too advantageous for me. Lasna was currently near a half moon and Antona was a waning crescent, close to a new moon.

Throughout the night we could hear various monsters moving through the swamp and the chill in my heart remained constant. I wanted to find that old man with the cracked face and find out what he did to me. If it was on purpose then he knew I had this ability and I wasn't sure what the consequences of that would be. It was most likely a spiritual ability so once I got back to Torinheim, I'd need to visit Floriana. If it really got bad, I'd ask Cedric to take a look but he mostly had offensive spiritual abilities and wasn't even able to neutralize the leeches toxin in Thorarinn.

As morning came we set out again. We lost the safe path a few times as the markers that were used began to change. Lariss was able to find the next markers but it was delaying us more and more. After we got off the safe path again, Hrothgar started to complain while Feadr came to Lariss' defense and told him he could do the tracking if she was doing such a bad job. It was during their argument that I saw Thelora began to react. It was only then that the chill in my heart started to respond to the threat.

A three eyed eight legged alligator launched itself at Thorarinn. Shadows wrapped around Thelora as she moved faster than before to intercept the monster. Previously I would have pegged her speed at the Intermediate stage of basic aura. With her Shadow Step spell active, she was moving at the speed of someone at the Expert stage.

Her thrown dagger pierced one of its eyes while she closed the distance and slashed with her short sword. I was right behind her with a Moonlight Lightning Slash. When it snapped at Thelora she jumped out of the way and I was able to bash it with my shield and activated my Lightning Rebuke. It thrashed in pain and the rest were able to follow up with their own attacks.

Before trying to pull it out of the water I looked over the area and saw a few three eyed heads that looked like logs. We ended up leaving it be and soon afterwards Lariss was able to find the path again. They wouldn't have been too hard to kill but we wanted to get to the resting place that marked the halfway point through the marsh as quickly as possible.

An hour later Thelora stopped us and had us crouched down while she activated her Cloaking spell and moved on ahead. In the silence I could just make out people talking. After I activated my own Cloaking spell, Lariss and Feadr followed suit. The other three did their best to hide while not going too far off the trail.

Thelora soon showed back up and briefed us on what she found.

"The resting area is just up ahead. It is a larger land mass surrounded by water except for the paths leading in and out. There's a stone wall that surrounds the inner part of the island. I saw about five people there." She said.

"If they're bandits, let's just join them." Feadr said.

"Idiot, if that bastard of a guide Ilibert tried to kill us, we can't trust anyone." Hrothgar said.

"He's right. Based on what Ilibert said, Torfredr is forming his own faction and already has control of the marsh." Thelora said.

"If that's the case why do we need to do anything? We came to take out a powerful ally of Wassa. Well he's no longer her ally, job done." Cedric said.

"But he's still an enemy of Skadi and I doubt he's just going to disappear once she becomes Bandit Queen." I said. While I didn't care about another person that would split the overall bandits resource in this fight, he was older and more experienced than the other three. If he did take over it might be harder for me to strike back when the time came.

"So what's the plan?" Lariss asked.

"Getting close to the island without being seen will be hard. The paths to it are open for a few yards and going through the water will be risky. I saw a few three eyed gators on the outer edges of the water. The wards might keep them at bay but I don't know how well they'll work if they're chasing someone. Even if we approached and pretended to be their allies, they would be suspicious because we don't have a guide." Thelora went deep into thought.

I was trying to think of a suggestion when she took on a wicked grin. "We might have a way but it will be risky. Well risky for one of us." Her eyes locked onto me.

That's how I found myself running on the edge of the small lake being chased by three eyed gators. Why did I agree to this? I had started making a commotion close to halfway around the lake, firing off Firebolts at any log that I thought might be a three eyed gator. If they got close enough I'd bash them with my shield and use my Lightning Rebuke or send out a Moonlight Lightning Slash. All the while I was screaming at the top of my lungs for help.

I could see the bandits on the island on top of the stone wall laughing and yelling at me. Some were encouraging me while others were letting me know I was about to become gator food. There were a few close calls but soon I got to the far side of the lake and was heading along the path towards the resting area.

"Hey, don't bring them here." One of them yelled.

I ignored his command and launched myself up the wall as I got close. The warding discouraged most of the gators and they turned away and headed back to the far edges of the lake but about half a dozen kept coming after me. With the help of the bandits we made short work of them.

After they were dead the bandits turned their weapons on me but before they had the chance to ask me who I was, an arrow pierced one man's throat and a throwing dagger entered the heart of another. On the other side of the island my group had already made their way over the wooden gate. The last three were quickly subdued and bound with rope.

"It seems that a few things have changed recently in this marsh. I'm hoping that you'll be good little boys and tell us everything Torfredr is up to." Thelora ran her dagger across the cheek of who she saw as the weakest.