"I really hope you're right about reaching Nerosyan by tomorrow," Milos said with a sigh. "I don't think I can take another week of travel. My feet are killing me."
"Last week you were complaining about the cart being too bumpy. And before that, it was the ship swaying too much. I'm starting to think you just don't like to travel." Krystoff teased. "You're not even doing the walking." He gestured at the pony Milos was sitting on, who complained a lot less than its rider. “So how can your feet hurt?”
"Listen, I may not be doing the walking right now. But it's cumulative fatigue from months of travel."
"Maybe I will gift you some nice walking boots." Krystoff grinned.
Milos opened his mouth, over-exaggerating gesture of being offended "How dare!? You know how hard it would be for me to gain the trust of other halflings if I were wearing boots!?" He wiggled his feet over the sides of the pony. "At least they're not hurting right now. But I am getting a new massive pain in my a…"
Erin, who'd been quietly listening to the banter, gave him a stern look.
"...bottom. Yes, a huge pain in my bottom. And I'm not sure if it's from the days riding this pony or just the company I've been keeping."
Krystoff laughed.
"Listen." Erin finally added. "We're not exactly riding towards a beach resort.
You may be missing these quiet travel days very soon."
"Yeah yeah, I know." Milos conceded "But I'm sure they still have some places with feather beds somewhere in the Worldwound. For sure Nerosyan will have some nice quarters before they send us to our certain…”
"Hold up." Krystoff interrupted, bringing his horse to a halt. "Look ahead. Smoke."
Sure enough, a plume of smoke could be seen rising in the distance. "It can't be" Erin said "We're still too far south. The demons couldn't have made it this far…"
"Let's investigate" Krystoff kicked his mount into a trot. The horse was not built for speed, and much less for combat. They had bought their horses and pony from a farm they passed by a week ago. And it was clear they were more suited for plowing fields than haste.
They reached a small village. Many of the houses had been burned down, those that still stood were in a severe state of disrepair "Let's continue on foot" Krystoff said while dismounting and drawing his sword. "Be alert. We don't know what we'll find."
Erin unstrapped the tower shield from her back, while Milos pulled his Rapier and held his whip tightly as they slowly paced toward the center of town. “We’re being watched.” Erin said as she strode with her shield held tightly against her body.
Hidden behind curtains and through the cracks of splintered doors, curious eyes watched them intently.
"There's still villagers around," Milos said. “They're scared”.
“Inheritor have mercy…” Erin said as they approached a large tree in the center of town. Three corpses were hung from a branch with their hands tied behind their backs, one of them a child.
They seemed to have been beaten before they were lit on fire.
Their hands were tied behind their back, which implied they were alive when they were burned.
“Who could have done such a monstrosity?”
As if in answer, there was shifting between the houses, as many figures, hidden by the now setting sun, started approaching the village center.
The Champions of Iomedae soon found themselves surrounded, not by Demons, but by a large group of scruffy looking men.
They were led by a large bald man holding a club that could have once been the trunk of a small tree. His large grin showcased a mess of blackened rotten teeth.
Krystoff could have sworn the man had some ogre or giant in his bloodline.
“What have we here? Looks like Iomedae decided to grace us with some offerings!”
The scruffy men laughed as they drew their weapons. They ranged in type and quality. Some carried crude knives, clubs and bows, but others carried good quality swords with blades made of cold iron. Likely taken from crusaders.
“I'll make you a deal” the man who acted as the men's leader added once the laughter died down “leave any coin you have, as well as your fancy weapons and armor, and you can leave with your lives. Consider it a toll to pass through our village.”
He grinned as he said the word “our”.
“Why did you do this to these people?”
Krystoff said.
“Don’t be so judgmental… my men were hungry” the bald man opened his arms wide, gesturing at the crowd, then pointed at the burned family with his club “and these assholes tried to hide food from us. So obviously, we needed to set an example for the rest”
Krystoff saw a woman tightly embracing a child looking at them from a second floor window in a nearby house.
“There's Demons threatening all civilization, and you've decided to take this as an opportunity to prey on those weaker than you!?” Milos shouted at the man, unable to keep calm anymore.
“I'm going to give you a choice.” Erin said with no emotion as she lowered her tower shield and stood it on the ground in front of her, hands resting on top.
“A chance of redemption if you will. You will repent for what you've done to these people. As compensation you will leave any valuables and food you have to give them a chance of survival.
Then, you will march with us to Neorysian and join the crusade against the Demons of the Worldwound. Consider it penance for the crimes you have committed.
If you refuse. You will never see the sun rise again.”
Erin's words carried weight to them. And even after the large man guffawed, the laughter that followed from his men was not as convincing anymore. The bravery allowed by their numbers seemed to be faltering.
“I choose option three. We’ll make you watch your two companions die.
Oh don't worry. You'll meet them after we're done having our fun with you.”
The man raised his club and brought it down on Erin, who stood unmoving, never breaking eye contact with the man she gave a chance of salvation.
As the club stopped an inch from connecting with Erin's face, being held back by an invisible force.
The man's arms fell to the ground, leaving behind two bloody stumps as Krystoff flashed by sword in hand, propelled by Divine energy.
The man stumbled back in shock while Erin continued to stare at him, unmoving.
As he stared at his mutilated arms, a whip wrapped around his neck before he could let out a sound.
The Halfling Liberator leaped forward, piercing his Rapier through the man's eye socket. The man fell hard, like a tree, with Milos on top of him.
Milos stood up and pulled out the Rapier from the man's corpse.
The three Champions stood back to back, weapons at the ready, as the monsters charged.