The barge rocked gentle as it flowed north. DD could feel every movement. He was lying near the back of the barge using his gifted shield as a back rest and pillow. He dosed as he reached out with his senses. He used sound and movement to track each of the operators and pilot. He wanted to make sure he trained even as he traveled. Development before Desolation.
He reached out with his mind to map the entire area. He constructed waves as they gently lapped on the barge sides. He could sense that the barge listed a little to the left. He had not trained with boats. He had been on the barge for a couple of days. He wanted to think of it in ship terms. He went through his conversations and concluded it was the port side of the boat.
Barge life agreed with DD. The rocking of the it was just like a horse. He found he could practice some of his mounted forms using the motion.
The barge tied up in a small village. A couple of passengers, a kender and a human came aboard. They did not match their species archetypes as the kender sported a couple of axes with confidence and the human danced about without making a sound. DD had heard that kender ended up with all your supplies. He went back to his backpack and made sure they were all stowed. As he turned, he found the human watching and laughing.
The barge pushed off and they were heading north again. DD waved his hand to a small area in the back, “Please have a seat with me and the other passengers…” He stood at attention as if he needed to wait for a salute. His brain catching up with where he was, he went at ease, “Sorry, my name is Derrick Daimons. Everyone calls me DD.”
The kender spoke first in a far gentler voice than the weapons suggested, “Arnie of the Cleverbolt clan.” She shifted her axes as she found a seat. The care seemed to be more for her weapons than her own comfort. DD watched as her hand made itself aware of the axes. She had been using these weapons for a long time. Even the way she sat was almost a stance ready to pounce.
The human cleared his throat, “I am Donnie.” DD did not know accents, but he heard a stretching of the ‘o’ and the ‘n’ in the man’s name as he said it. He said it over and over in his head. He was not sure if he was making sure he had it right or just listening for an accent.
We traveled together for days. Each of us was heading to Vogler. We were all going for Ispin and his funeral. We bonded over his stories. DD Came to understand just how traveled he was. He went to many lands and knew so many people. As they traveled DD and Arnie sparred. Their distinct styles were good training for each of them. Arnie’s chaos matched only be DD formal responses. Donnie’s played with one of his daggers the entire time. The knife had been used in this way so long it was worn to his fingers.
The three started to form a group as they left the barge to walk the rest of the way to Vogler. The picked up two new companions. Catt, another kender. She was more like what DD expected from the smaller folk. Oz was some sort of horned beast. DD had heard of minotaurs but Oz did not match the description and he called himself a tiefling. He was the only one that was traveling without weapons. He never seemed unarmed in any way.
They traveled for a couple days.
A man came running from around a bend in the trail, “stop! They attacked us ahead. Make yourselves scarce.” DD gave Katt, Oz, and Donnie a quick eye flix. They silently ran off. DD guided the man over behind a tree, “Hide here, while we check this out.” DD was impressed at how the three disappeared into woods. Catt could almost just stop moving to hide. DD scanned the man for injuries and handed him a quick ration, “what is your name friend, they call me DD.” The man moved like a farmer that spent his whole life in the fields but was not injured.
“My name is Rhys”, he said between bites. Arnie stood close as she guarded the road ahead. He munched as he told them about being attacked in the road. He thought they should all leave. DD was a knight. He would protect those that could not protect themselves, hope before despair.
Catt was the first back, “there are at least three guys up ahead. They are scaly and are wearing big cloaks.” DD like the way she even for her young age gave good crisp information. Oz and Donnie confirmed her story. DD stood a little tall, “I will go give them the opportunity to surrender for judgement.” Oz looked at DD with the eye of a crazy man, “let’s hide and let them pass.” DD snapped back, “we must bring them in… now all of you can sneak up to prepare for a crossfire.” Donnie smiled, turned, and ran off. A snap of a twig echoed through the area.
DD charged up, “Surender and prepare to be judged.” It was hard to tell but their scaly faces smiled with laughter. In a crude common their leader announced his intensions to eat them. DD drew them into himself as they charged him into battle, “you should surrender.” Resolution before deceit.
The battle centered around DD. The dragon men came up. As they died, they formed into a stone around the very weapons that killed them. Donnie dropped. He was bleeding out. DD could not get to him. Oz dropped next to Donnie. His alien body seemed calm on the ground. The Leader turned to stone giving Catt the space to rush down and stabilize Donnie. Arnie helped finish off the last of them. DD was heartbroken, as he hoped some would surrender instead of being destroyed.
The smell from the burning cart filled the air. The statues of their former foes crumbled to dust after a few minutes. DD looked over the scene. The only thing going through his head was, “what the fuck is going on.”