The famous exploits of Welveren The Wandering Wizard

Welveren The Wandering Wizard, Chapter 2

Setting: It's been around 7 and a half years after I bumped into Ro at that Tavern. We've been on a few adventures together since but about a year ago contact has ceased. I don't want to admit it but I'm a little worried, and in the midst of a job I try and find new information.

          I screamed in agony as the arrow pierced my forearm. The Marauder Gang had spotted me stalking them and sent Wy-a't the Kobold away while three of them provided cover fire in the Greenery Forest. I hopped behind a tree and broke the tip off. I breathed a few quick breaths and ripped the shaft from my flesh, and my bluish blood spewed from the wound as I cast "Cure Wounds". Scar tissue formed around the large wound and I applied a balm for the pain. I can't help but smile as they attempt to flank me. I'd been waiting to use this, I think to myself. I fumbled for my water and poured it out on the ground. I convened the ancient magicks as power flowed through me, speaking in ancient tongues and moving my hands to manipulate the water. It quickly turned into three ice shards, which hit two of the three attackers square in the chest, the other in the leg. I grinned as squelching noises were heard and thumps as they dropped to the ground, too dead to scream. One began to moan, and as I walked over I saw an ice shard had hit him in the leg. The serrated edges were covered in man blood, which I had always enjoyed the smell of. He stopped moaning as I approached and laughed.

"You won't get anything outta me, Drow. If you want the Kobold then run north."

"You know he's not what I took that bounty for. A few weeks ago a party with two bards came through the west town you ransacked. They were looking for something. Where are they now?"

A look of terror came upon his face. "Are you with those, those... Wafflers or whatever they're called?"

"You could say I have an interest. What of it?"

"Well, when we came through that town they stopped us. Killed some of us in the process. Started askin' about some guy who came through town, apparently one of 'em was lookin' for revenge. She..uh... had a... uhhh, what's it called..."

I held up my knife threateningly.

"A lute! A lute, strapped across her back. She looked pissed as all hell, beatin' some of us to death. You think the Marauders are on the run because of a few small bounties? We had to get the hell out of dodge before that crazy party hunted us all down! We ain't scared of no Drow scum like you." 

He spat in my face, and a scream was heard as I twisted the shard in his leg. I left him there with a little food and went on my way. The bounty was of no use to me. Sure, the employer might send out another one just like me to hunt me down but judging from his choice in assassin I could handle a price on my head just fine. I got what I needed from the Marauders anyway, and I began to head for the mountain pass to the north where an outpost was located. It was the only place to go if you headed out of town. If I knew Ro, she was gonna get herself killed on whatever quest for revenge she was on. And I didn't plan to let that happen.

My hood flapped in the wind as I held Picard, my mouse, close to my heart. I could handle the cold but Picard couldn't. He needed my body heat. I trudged through the snow, staff in hand as I saw a few glowing lights in the distance. I sighed in relief that my mapping skills were worthy, and I walked a little faster through the vast field of snow as I felt Picard tremble against my chest. I whispered a lullaby to him and lit a torch. When I opened the creaky door to the Pass, I saw a maze of tunnels span in all directions. A variety of dwarfs, humans, and elf subspecies walked around a large market, vast carved tunnels of wood going deep into the mining areas of the mountains to the side. There was no sign of Ro and those weirdos she hung out with.

"Gimme something with sugar." The dwarf behind the counter smiled and said nothing as he poured the sweet drink. Something in his eyes said he was very old and wise, despite his obvious youngness and shortness of beard. My senses told me he was trustworthy enough.

"Is there any word of a party on the prowl around these parts? I'm looking for someone."

The dwarf looked up at me silently as his smile disappeared. "'Few miles northwest of the Pass. There should be a shrine. Heard something about a sword, and that the Wafflers might be in some trouble. An old fairytale." His face was one of calmness, though his eyes said otherwise. He glanced suggestively behind me. I already knew what he was looking at. I jumped over the counter and screams erupted through the market as a ball of flame whizzed right through where my head was a second before. Damn it! The employer followed me, I thought. I wondered how much gold was currently on my head as another ball of flame struck the barrels propped up on the counter. I suddenly noticed something odd about the dwarf, he had a strange mechanical apparatus on his head, and he pulled out a pouch of an unknown black powder. "Nobody messes with my PAYING CUSTOMERS!" he roared. He grabbed a strange contraption out of a hidden compartment as I watched him in wonder. He poured in the powder to what looked like a long wooden and metal tube. He lit a small match as the flames began to roar above our heads. He then poured in a sack of small, round rocks and lofted the contraption to his shoulder. I watched in wonder as a series of glass lenses folded down and over his eye. He took a few deep breaths and popped up over the counter. I tried to pull him down since he was just standing there, pointing the thing at my attacker. What the hell is he doing?

As this thought went through my head an incredibly loud noise sounded and I thought a fireball had hit us dead on. I opened my eyes to black smoke, and the smell of the powder but much much stronger in the air. The dwarf sat on his waist, and seemed knocked down by impact. He was smiling. "I was waiting to use that." He said, looking over. I began to stammer.

"Wha, wha, why isn't he..."

"It's a new invention of mine. Call it Blam Powder. If you saw those rocks I put in this tube here, you should find them lodged in your attacker's chest."

I peeped over the counter, the market was mostly empty now. A pool of blood surrounded the warlock who was after my head. I could see many holes and small rocks indeed lodged in his chest. I smiled. "That was amazing, dwarf. Maybe you all aren't as bad as we elves think. You're tinkerers, you are. And I'm always up for new ways to kill people of a bad nature". 

"Anything for paying customers".

As thanks I bought a few more drinks and some arrows. "You have a good day, now!" The dwarf called. I shook his hand and left. It was a good day. I let Picard nibble on a bit of cricket as I weaved through the maze of wooden tunnels. I stepped out after walking a few miles into a green field, the mountains behind me. "Northwest it is". I trudged onward, my only thoughts of Ro, though at the time I denied myself these thoughts. "It's just for the money" I said to myself. "I don't care what happens to her". Picard squeaked in response. "I don't!" I said defensively. I smiled as I turned to the northwest and stroked Picard. I could almost smell the beer off of that dumb Paladin she was with. I knew I was close. I just hoped I wasn't too late.

Author's note-

Hey hey! This one is a bit longer and much more easier to read than my last one. Sorry about that. If you want more backstory go read HulaLegend's Chapter Two about Ro! You might just find out something essential Welveren will find soon enough. Thanks for reading! Cheers! -Gabe