Jurot held a large smile on his face, humming quietly. Adam hadn’t seen Jurot so happy before. 

‘We were seconds away from dying and you’re just going to hum with joy?’ Adam shook his head, still surprised by how Iyrmen work. ‘It’s not like they understand me either, though.’

“Must you hum?” Sir Landon asked. “It may be dangerous.”

“We have survived a meeting with Lord Stokmar,” Jurot said. “We will not meet anything more dangerous than than he.”

“You have yet to recover from our last battle,” Sir Landon said.

“Jurot, think of the Nobles,” Adam said. “They all grabbed Sir, and the Knight there lost his breakfast.” Adam wasn’t going to let Sir Landon belittle Jurot, not even the teeniest amount. 

The Knight glared at Adam, but the Half Elf ignored him. 

They continued to follow Jurot, who was no longer humming, and instead was nodding along to the humming in his head. He stopped, raising a hand, before stepping around a tree, glancing towards the side. He beckoned them after him.

Adam noted the entrance to a cave, though it seemed unmanned. Jurot crept close, and peeked in, before motioning for them to follow. As they did, the silence deafened them, Jurot leading the way as he entered. It was dark, but Adam could see with his Half Elf eyes. 

“It’s empty,” Adam said, looking about. 

There was a large area around covered with furs, and what looked like torn rags and clothing, enough to cover the group they had found. 

“So this is where their clothes were,” Adam joked.

Jurot lit a torch, and then looked about the area. He dropped down, opening up the large blanket, finding a large pile of coin, some copper, but mostly silver, with even some gold. Not just coins, though, as littered throughout were also small objects, rings, necklaces, and even gems. 

“Nice,” Adam whispered.

“Do you think there are more?” Sir Landon asked.

“No,” Jurot said.

“Good. When we return, I will claim the task complete. I will inform the Mayor and the nearby Lord.”

“Not the Guild?” Adam asked.

“You may do so,” Sir Landon said. “I, Sir Landon of East Fort, claim these treasure on behalf of my family.” 

“It has been witnessed,” the Knight replied.

“What just happened?” Adam asked. 

“He has claimed the loot,” Jurot stated, simply.

“Wait, what? Hold on, we were here too. In fact, I was the one to beat the leader.”

“It is only right that it is claimed by the highest ranking individual,” Sir Landon replied.

Adam threw a glance to Sir Vonda. “Aren’t you high ranking?”

“In a sense,” she replied.

“Are you going to claim it all?” Adam asked. “Taking the treasure from a Priest of Life?”

Sir Landon looked to Sir Vonda. “No,” he replied, simply. “I shall not. Of course, due to the assistance of the good Sir Vonda, half shall be donated to the temple.”

She bowed her head towards the Sir in thanks.

“Hey, you’re going to split some with us, right?” Adam asked, flashing the most charming smile.

Persuasion Check
D20 + 5 = 9 (4)

Sir Vonda raised her brows.

“Right?” 

Adam grumbled as they returned, eventually taking everyone to the cave. 

“Pack up the treasure,” Sir Landon commanded the Porters, and they quickly did as he asked. 

The Druid eventually awoke, her eyes blinking rapidly, looking at her familiar dwellings. 

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” Adam said. “Lovely weather we’re having, isn’t it?”

Jurot squinted towards Adam, who was smiling at his little joke.

“You haven’t killed me yet?” the Druid asked, her voice low. 

“No,” Adam said. “Though we had to cover you up. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I do,” she replied, shaking her head. “We follow the Salt Mother, and allow our bodies to embrace the earth in its truest form.”

“Yeah, but we’ve got Nobby over here who shouldn’t be forced to see you prancing about with your ti-“

“You heathens,” the Knight interrupted. “How dare you bring your vile magics into our land.”

“Vile magics?” The Druid narrowed her eyes. “We embrace the Divine Magic, the same way your Priest over there does.”

“You claiming you’re a Priest?” Adam asked. “Priestess?”

“I am a Priestess,” she replied, sternly. “I do not follow the same pantheon as these fools.”

“Ah,” Adam said. “Cool.” He didn’t realise there were different titles depending on who people followed. “So what’s a Druid?”

“They’re a queer lot,” she said. 

“Elves?”

“Many of them, or those the Elves ally with,” the woman replied.

“Enough,” the Knight snarled. “Why did you attack Sir Landon? You seemed eager to drag him away.”

“The Noble’s blood would have made a fine sacrifice to our Goddess,” the woman replied, simply. 

“Foul heathen,” the Knight shook his head, reaching for his blade. “You shall be executed for your crimes.”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Adam said, raising a hand to stop the Knight. “Relax. We aren’t killing anyone, especially no Priestess of a Goddess.” Adam tapped his foot on the earth. “The Salt Mother probably won’t let us leave peacefully if we’re killing her Priestesses.”

“I didn’t expect you to be such a coward,” the Knight said.

“It’s called having a minimum level of intelligence,” Adam said. “Jurot, would you provoke the ire of the Gods so eagerly?”

“No. I am no fool, Adam.”

“There will be no execution,” Sir Vonda said. “She is to remain alive so she can be sent to be interrogated, and then she will live for penance.”

“Some penance,” the Knight grumbled, but he wouldn’t dare to press further against a Priest of Life.

“She will not die?” Sir Landon asked, approaching. “She tried to harm a Noble. The law is very clear.”

“She will be put to justice, but she must be given a chance,” Sir Vonda said. “She must live.”

“We shouldn’t annoy the Gods too much,” Adam said. “Mother Soza and the Salt Mother will sure to be displeased. Although, I’ll have to compliment you, Sir Landon, for even I wouldn’t try to provoke the ire of the Goddess of Life when we’re aiming to fight some Elder Wolves.” Adam was careful not to say the word face, opting fight instead.

Sir Landon narrowed his eyes, but nodded, relenting to the Priest of Life.

The Porters finished packing the treasure into their bags, and Adam pat Zeus, who was carrying more of the food and water, not that he seemed to mind. 

“We’ll set up watch to make sure none of them escape,” Adam said, looking to the group of captives. They were tied up, most of them with rope, and some with their own clothing. 

Adam thought about casting some spells to scare them, but considering how they seemed to be willing to die naked, he realised that they wouldn’t want to.

He summoned one tower this time, for himself, near the front of the cave, and called forth Hades.

“You are not going to summon two towers?” Sir Landon asked.

“No, no, not today,” Adam said. “I have to make sure I have enough strength to deal with them in case they try to escape.” 

“For a naked group of vagabonds?” Sir Landon asked.

“Especially for a naked group of vagabonds. They’re crazy, and not in the same way that I’m crazy, in a very different way. Can’t be too careful now, can we? You, especially, since they’re aiming to sacrifice you. I’m sure you’ll want me to be in tip top shape, right?” Adam asked.

“Right,” Sir Landon replied.

“You may use the bathroom, though,” Adam said. “I won’t deny you a nice, hot bath, I couldn’t. Well, after me.” Adam smiled, before heading into the tower to have a bath. ‘That’s what you get for refusing me my loot, you stingy bastard.’

Omen: 7, 7

“Hey, what’s with the bruise,” Adam asked the woman. He had finished his bath in the morning and had come to eat some breakfast with the group.

“She tried to run while I was on watch,” Jurot said.

“You tried to run while an Iyrman was on watch?” Adam asked, raising his brow. “Damn. That’s some next level nonsense.”

“I thought I was quiet enough, what with the lack of clothing,” she said. “It’s not as though my breasts squeak together while I move.”

“You forgot about the blanket on you,” Adam said. “Keeping you decent.”

“It was the fall of the blanket which set him upon me,” she said. “Though, I wouldn’t mind if he had wished to set himself upon me like a-“

“Whoa!” Adam exclaimed. “Jurot is a decent fellow, and as much as you want to be his woman, you’re no Baker.”

Jurot exhaled through his nose, glaring at Adam. 

“What?” Adam asked, trying to hide his smile. 

“You are not half as funny as you think you are,” Jurot said.

“I’m not a tenth as funny as I think I am,” Adam replied. 

“I thought you no longer wished to joke?”

“Who said I was joking?”

 

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