D&D Journals [Cynde] Plague and Penitence

Day 274

I am unsure where I am. I have just awoken and it is dark, with only stunted silhouettes of what must be remnants of trees and homes visible surrounding us. Everyone else is sleeping, or at least those I see, and I am writing by candlelight.

I must have passed out and been dragged here. My clothes are wet and covered in dirt and vomit. Whatever Aria had given me...was it poison? She said to trust her, but I felt like I was dying after drinking that concoction. The Hive Mind screamed in my head for what felt like eternity. But now...is it gone? Are the thoughts of my idiocy for drinking that concoction my own?

It must have been yesterday that Cora and I were atop the trees far from here. At least I hope I haven't been lying here unconscious in my own vomit for more than several hours...

Cora and I hadn't noticed that Aria had left us in the trees until her summoned owl arrived with a small scroll strapped to its leg. For reasons I have yet to understand, Cora became immediately defensive, almost frantic, saying we needed to kill it, that all owls are evil and cannot be trusted. I tried to calm her, but she refused to listen, striking the owl down with a branch and killing it. It disappeared in a puff of smoke, but the scroll remained. Upon it was a message from Aria saying she had travelled to a werewolf den and that we should join her.

Both Cora and I fought against the Hive Mind the entire way there, but we were forced to march through the forest against our will until we came upon a small village with many recently erected tents. More importantly, it seemed the entire village had recently caught fire. We worried for Aria, rushing forward, but then I noticed her in owl form flying above. The Hive Mind wanted me to call out to her, but I was able to distract it by rushing toward a hut that was engulfed in flames.

When I kicked the door open, there were three goblins inside. I killed them. Cora arrived and helped me kill the last one, and I told her they had attacked me first. She didn't probe any further, and I can't be certain whether it was true or not. Seeing them brought forth memories of their treatment toward me back on the ship, and my hatred for them took over. They seemed to be aggressive...but I don't really know if that was true.

Cora was about to rush off to help put out the fire, when Aria appeared in her human form and insisted we drink these buckets of water. We've always trusted her, so we didn't hesitate to drink them, but before we could consume much, another elf appeared and knocked the buckets out of our hands. He complained about us drinking the water instead of using it to put out the fire. While he and Aria argued, the Hive Mind tried to make me touch them. I managed to resist it, somehow, but then suddenly my body was on fire inside.

Much of what transpired after that point is a blur. Every part of my body was in agony, fire spewed out of my mouth with every exhale, and the Hive Mind was screeching in my head, drowning out everything else. I had felt betrayed by Aria. I felt like I was dying and she was my murderer.

Then, as fire spread and smoke became thick, I began to choke, unable to breathe.

The last thing I remember was a cold wind and then I passed out.

And now I am here. And—

I hear voices. Someone is approaching. Several people. I can't see them. I need to hide.