Leaper wondered how long it has been since he had seen his hometown.
For some reason, Delmirev looked different to how Leaper had remembered it. It may have been the silver clouds above that cast a muted grey over the buildings, or it could have been the lack of people in the streets.
Or it could have been the great ugly gallows right in the town centre.
"Tell me they've not been used," Leaper hissed to Climber, on the front of their horse.
Climber didn't respond. Leaper figured it was for the best. He didn't really want to know the answer.
Leaper's realisation of the danger he had placed his friends back home in hit him like a club to the skull. A shiver crawled up his spine like Death's icy finger tracing his backbone. His act, which had at first seemed harmless, had placed innocent lives at risk.
Did Nadarr really think that he was that dangerous? Leaper was almost honoured.
"Climber, have you heard from my mother or Heskan?" Leaper whispered again.
"Quiet!" Climber snapped back, and Leaper couldn't help but being a bit hurt.
Leaper pulled his cloak further over his head, which was not easy when you had a bright, shimmering golden snout coming out from under your eyes.
Did Heskan blame Leaper for what happened? Would he ever talk to him again? Would Earbender ever talk to him again?
"Answer me!" Leaper said at a higher volume.
Climber turned to Leaper with dagger eyes.
"Do you want to be caught?" Climber grumbled. And before Leaper could reply: "That's what I thought."
Climber turned back to face the front. Maybe everyone blamed Leaper, at least a little bit.
Leaper turned to MJ and Khoto on the back of Zealous's horse, who were both staring at him but proceeded to think that the ground was very appealing when he returned their gaze. MJ knew that she wasn't convincing Leaper one bit and turned to Zealous.
"You said that Nadarr has somehow become leader of this place?" MJ asked him.
"Yeah, that's right," Zealous nodded.
"Um... how?"
"We think there was foul play involved. The previous leader was murdered. Killed in his sleep," Climber explained quickly.
"Answer my questions if you're not staying silent," Leaper said indignantly.
"Well, unlike you, she isn't a wanted criminal, so forgive me if I actually want to protect you."
Leaper rolled his eyes and folded his arms.
"To be honest, I am a Kenku. People kinda assume that I've got something to hide," MJ added, glancing towards a mother who walked briskly past them with his child. Her face indicated fear - what of?
"Stop bickering children, we're almost here!" Zealous squeaked.
He gestured to the small castle in the Delmirev town, which was slightly taller and larger than the other buildings in the town centre. The castle was separated from the rest of the town by a field, and it illuded grandeur while actually being only a semi-impressive structure on the inside. Leaper had been in there once, with his father when he was just a child. He couldn't remember why, or if he ever would again outside of right now.
What Leaper couldn't help but wonder was why they were actually headed to the castle. Going to where Nadarr resided was surely reckless, right? He was sure that there was some kind of plan that was at least half decent, but Leaper couldn't help but have his doubts.
As the group approached the gates, Climber hissed at Leaper to hide his face again, which he was already doing, but he didn't bother to argue. Likely because the guards were in on this situation, they didn't ask Leaper to remove his hood, which surely looked suspicious to the Draconian invaders.
"What's your plan here?" Leaper mumbled. If Climber wouldn't answer, Leaper could at least annoy him.
Climber, to absolutely no one's surprise, didn't respond. At this point, Leaper didn't want him to.
"Leaper, do you trust me?" Climber uttered.
So he was responding, then.
"I trust you. Do you trust me?" Leaper replied.
Climber paused, clearly contemplating his answer. "You're the only choice we have left," he said after a few seconds, which was at least better than saying no.
After his reply, Climber hopped off of the horse and crossed the front garden to a soldier who was very stern and quite clearly not in the loop of what was going on. Leaper tried to fathom what Climber could be saying, before a blue finger was jutted in Leaper's direction.
Then, they ran. The soldier first and Climber in tow. The soldier fumbled for something in her pocket, and retrieved a silver whistle. Upon blowing it, a sound was produced that pierced the space around them.
It was as the other soldiers around them were coming towards them that Leaper realised what Climber had said.
"You guys? We have to go, now!" Leaper cried, jumping off of his horse.
MJ, Khoto, Roro and Thia were beside him in moments.
"The gates!" Roro yelled, pointing at the opening.
No one spoke, they just ran as the shouts of the enemy soldiers rattled around them.
"We're not gonna make it!" Khoto shouted.
"We are!" Leaper replied hopefully, but he wasn't sure if he believed himself.
Leaper froze as he saw the gateway blocked off by a horde of soldiers in clanging suits of armor that had since lost their connotations of honor.
Thia wasted no time in pivoting to the wall. She quickly shuffled upwards, scaling the rocky surface. Roro was close behind - the communication between the two elves was almost telepathic.
MJ and Khoto almost followed the girls, but MJ twirled around as soon as she placed her hand on the wall.
"Leaper won't be able to climb!" MJ shrieked up the wall to Roro and Thia. They peered over the top of the wall and made some sort of gesture that said that they were going around to meet them outside.
"Oh, nuh uh! It was nice knowing you guys!" Khoto shook their head.
Khoto immediately tried to scale the wall. But, in the moment, their foot slipped, and they were sent plummeting to the spongy grass below. They let out a groan: it was the last Leaper and MJ saw of them as they were blocked by a crowd of Dragonborn/Draconian soldiers.
Leaper grabbed MJ's arm and pulled her back towards where Climber and Zealous stood.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" Leaper screamed at them, grasping Climber's shoulders in a firm grip.
They stared blankly back. Leaper could tell in their eyes that they wanted to tell him to run, but couldn't formulate the words in their mouths.
Leaper edged away from them, his head shaking softly.
"Leaper!" MJ squealed as she was grabbed by the soldiers.
"MJ!" He yelled back before a blunt force knocked him out cold.
YOU ARE READING
Dungeons and Dragons: Forged In Flame (COMPLETED)
Fantasy'"Let's see what you can do, then. Go!" he shouted, then he ran at Climber.' Leaper's life has been ruined in the span of a year. When he can't bare the actions in his hometown anymore, he goes on an epic quest and meets some new friends, each with...
