Dungeons and Dragons: The Fated

Chapter 2

The night quickly turned to dawn as the three adventurers slept, the sun's rays peeking through broken window curtains right towards Aurora's eyes. Aurora groaned and sat up, rubbing her face gently as she tried to combat her sleepy state. With the sun now shining in the cottage, it was a bit easier to look and see the living area. Cobwebs and Dust covered all the furniture, and there was a pot resting above the cooking pit. Aurora's stomach grumbled, at the site, a possibility of food filling her mind. She arose from the bed and began to look around the cottage cabinets, in search of a light breakfast. While most of the cabinets were empty, something did catch her eye while she raided a box with "Apples" written on it, though none were in the promised location. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a desk covered with papers. She got up and went to investigate, and her finding caused her to pause. All the papers were written in what seemed to be red ink, "The Chickens are with the Wolf at the end the stream."
Aurora had a puzzled look but no idea what it could mean, so she set down the papers and looked at Almorith and Esmeralda, both still asleep.
"Ah-hum!" Aurora said loudly, making Almorith sit up quickly, his hand darting for his Dagger in his belt. He looked at her with a unpleased gaze as he loosened his grip on his knife, "Why would you do that?". "The sun is out, we can probably reach Aramour by midday if we leave now!" Aurora said with a cocky grin. Esmeralda sat up with a huff, "Felt like I didn't get any sleep." she mumbled as she rubbed her eyes. Almorith stood up and stretched his arms before grabbing his pack and putting it on, "She's right none the less, the sooner we leave, the better." The three got all set up for their leave, and got ready to exit the cottage, but as Almorith reached for he cottage door, laughter was heard on the other side. Esmeralda and Aurora both quickly jumped under the beds together and looked to Almorith. Almorith raced over to the bed furthest away, but the door had already opened by the time he made it to the bed.
Almorith tossed down his pack on to the bed and ruffled up his clothes as he quickly turned towards the door, watching as three gorgeous women walked in to the cottage. One of the females had Dark Brunette hair, and wore brown robes, she was the one who noticed Almorith first and smiled, "We seem to have a guest ladies." The next lady, A blonde in a short dress, looked to Almorith and also smiled, "He seems to be alone." The final lady, A redhead in nearly see through silk robes, bit her lip as she gazed at Almorith, "How delightful!" Almorith chuckled nervously as he analyzed the three women, 'Where did they come from? Is this their home? Why is it in the middle of the woods?' he pondered to himself. "Speechless darling?" The Brunette chuckled as she questioned Almorith. He ran his fingers through his hair as he shook his head, "No, I'm so sorry ladies, I just woke up and was taken back by your beauty. Is this your home?" The ladies stepped forward closer and closer as he spoke, making him step back closer to the wall as he continued, "I was just traveling through the forest last night and saw this cottage, I thought no one lived here, my apologies, I'll see myself out." Almorith grabbed his pack and put it on his back, but before he could even begin to walk, the three ladies kept getting closer, "We never have company, we aren't upset." The redhead licked her lips, "We haven't had a man in ages." The blonde reached out for Almorith, grabbing and rubbing his arms, "We need a man to stay and play." The Brunette walked around her company and grabbed Almorith's jaw, pulling his gaze towards her, pleading "We want you to stay!"
Esmeralda and Aurora both watched this accure and were both equally confused. Esmerelda sighed under her breath and looked around for an escape plan, and that's when her eyes crossed a red book hidden between the bed and the bedrest. She slowly grabbed and slid the book out of its wedge and wiped the cover. The book was clearly very aged, and had an unhealthy aura around it. Esmeralda opened the book as Aurora watched, and the two girls felt their stomachs sink in as the words in the book were written in witchcraft font. Esmeralda looked to Aurora, who had already pulled out a Dagger from her sheath, and gently slid the Dagger towards Esmeralda. Without needing another moment to think, Esmeralda swiftly lunged out from under the bed, rushing at the redhead and driving the dagger blade right inside of the redheads waist, the blade going between the woman's ribcage. The once beautiful woman let out a blood boiling shriek as her body morphed in to a hag.
The Blonde and Brunette both turned to face their wounded friend and both began to morph as well, the Blonde letting out a powerful shreik directed at Esmeralda, causing her to pull out the blade and drop it as her hands relocated to her ears to silence the noise. The shriek peered through Esmeralda's defense, causing Esmeralda's ears to bleed as pain shook her brain, "Make it stop!" Almorith tried to help Esmeralda by swinging his fist towards the blonde, but the brunette hag had simply tightened her grip on Almorith's jaw and she too began her shriek. Almorith reached down and grabbed his own Dagger from his belt and after unsheathing it, he quickly lifted the blade up and impaled the knife in to the hags arm, forcing her to loosen her grip. Almorith fell to the ground, coughing roughly as he attempted to regain his air. He felt the blood leak from his ears slowly as his gaze locked with the redhead hag's. She quickly began to rush forward to attack Almorith, but the hag lost all her balance and face planted into the wooden floor as Aurora slashed her backup dagger up the hags leg.
Almorith used the free moment to reach for his pack and pull out his bow, and used the wooden support to swing and crack the blonde hag across the face, slightly freeing Esmeralda from her stunned state. Esmeralda rolled away from right under the hags and stood up beside Aurora and Almorith. Almorith grabbed a loose arrow and prepped it in his bow as Esmeralda gave Aurora back her dagger, Aurora getting in a defensive stance with both daggers now ready. Esmeralda took an offense approach, casting fire hands and waiting, the three adventurers staring down the hags.
The hags all prepared to release a powerful synchronized shriek, but an arrow going in to the Blonde's mouth, the arrow tip leaving the back of her head, ceased that plan. Almorith used his arrow hand to use one finger over his lips as he glared at the other two hags, "Shhhh." Taking the chance during the distraction, Aurora lunged at the Redhead, slashing her blades in opposing directions while pushing for the hags throat, slicing it open to allow a red waterfall to erupt from the gapping hole. The Brunette hag took one glace at the scene and tried to run away, but Esmeralda stepped in front of the final hag and swung her firey fist across the hags jaw, leaving a deep burn where she landed her hit. The dazed hag fell to the ground, tears leaving her eyes. "No no! Please, I'm sorry! Let me go and I'll never bother anyone again!" Esmeralda knelt down next to the hag, the fire on her hands fading as she reached over and gently grabbed the hag's cheeks. The hag smiled as Esmeralda spoke softly, "Of course, I forgive you.." The hags smile slowly turned to a worrisome look as her flesh began to burn, Esmeralda's hands quickly reflaming as she pushed her hands harder against both of the hags cheeks, "..but the people you hurt can't!" The hag screamed as her head burst in to flames completely, and Esmeralda began to slam the hags head in to the ground repeatedly until the screaming stopped.
Esmeralda stood up, her hands losing their fire once again as she wiped the blood from her fingers. Almorith and Aurora both looked at each other for a moment before regathering their own equipment once again. The trio began to head for the door, when a slip of paper in the brunette hag's pocket caught Aurora's attention. She grabbed the paper and read it to herself, then looked to the group, "Hey, do either of you remember seeing or hearing a stream nearby?" Almorith looked to Aurora, "No, why?"
Aurora looked at Almorith, "I think something bad is happening nearby."