HUNTED The End? / Epilogue
The End? / Epilogue
The End? / Epilogue
Raku slept for almost a day solid after his first transformation if it could even be called that. Garrock and Reecie managed to drag him out of the woods on a piece of the remaining runner from the church. Escaping proved to be much easier than getting in. With the lich dead they had no encounters with any more vines or blood sap portals spewing all manner of undead horrors at them. Luck or perhaps misfortune depending on the view found them cooped up in an old disused trapper shack near the Jagged Peaks. The walls were riddled with gaps and the door hardly closed but overall it held the heat of a fire moderately well against the winds of a blizzard tearing across the landscape. It was here the Trio took refuge from the storm. Garrock had explained to the others in greater detail his knowledge of familiars, and magic in general.
"Now remember Dwarf magic is different from Faerie magic!" He would repeat every so often. As if to disclaim anything he might not be correct about. Raku himself was learning to accept that he was now, technically a type of Faerie. Since familiars fall under that umbrella. Reecie was much closer and more open with Raku having discovered he was literally bound to her soul but knowing also that the "Lich Stone" would protect her from the curse that came with the brute, not that he could refuse her word anyway. The trio was dug in for what looked like was going to be day two of a ferocious blizzard. The sun was setting, not that one could tell through the torrent of snow when came a knock on the door...
"That was a knock!" Raku sat up his ears perking, his eyes jumping between Reecie and Garrock.
"It's the wind dog shadup!" The dwarf grunted rolling to his side. Raku was convinced of what he had heard and cracked the door open. A gust of cold air rushed in nearly snuffing the fire before he closed it again quickly.
"That was fast, just the wind I assume then?" Reecie teased. Raku slowly turned holding a length of silk ribbon in his fist.
"Instincts." the brute replied holding the bit of deep red ribbon for Garrock to see as he peeked over his shoulder.
"Lucky guess!" he huffed shaking his head. "Well? Come on hold it up to the fire an read what it says!" Raku not understanding what could possibly be on such a small piece of silk slid it out between his thumb and forefinger on each hand. Looking at it straight on in the dirt it appeared to be a simple bit of silk, rasing it to have the fire behind it made fine elven script appear in gold. Raku squinted a bit as he read it out.
"Na ped- -o conn-" he uttered. It was elvish, of that he was certain but before he could even translate it the ribbon flew from his hands and dove into the fire. From it rose a shower of sparks that formed in great detail a the bust of a robed elf. Its hair was braided and draped over the shoulder. But being comprised of sparks there was little else to see.
"Hello, this message comes to you from the Order of Luthalve. I pray it finds you in a time of safety and rest." The voice of this elf was clear and concise, it was as if there was another person in the room speaking to them.
Garrock sat up rubbing his eyes a bit at the image that had risen from the fire. Reecie and Raku both watched in awe having never seen such magic.
"I am of the Orders council, my name is of no importance. But I have sent this message in hopes to congratulate you on resolving the issue King Terius Locke had presented to the Order. I would like to offer you on behalf of all those that serve the Order, amnesty from any conflicts you may have had with those feal to our cause. We also would like to offer payment as a gesture of good faith for the resolution of any future quarrels with unnatural creatures and forces burdening modern society. You need not worry about contacting the Order for any such rewards, we have eyes and ears covering all of Alta. I wish you farewell and good luck, and as is our mantra. Bring light to the shadows so that none are left in the dark!" With that last statement, the visage dissolved falling back into the fire.