Quest: Search and Rescue

Hero Posts : 108 Renown : 135 Age : 33

Mystic stood at the entrance of Bowerstone Old Towne. The warrant was rolled up, clutched in her hand. She had left Hammer at the Cow and Corset inn unsure how he would handle himself. This was, after all, a quest that he thought was a waste of time. There was no immediate reward for their troubles. They of course would have to wait for the Guild Master to collect. But Mystic loved the immediacy of relief. Especially this quest. In her hand was a warrant to search for hobbes. To seek and destroy. But this time, they would be rescuing someone. A few children had gone missing from Bowerstone. It was likely that the children were taken to the hobbe hideout in Rookridge, where Mystic and her brother had been just a few weeks ago. Evidently, they had missed a few hobbes. Children from both Oakfield and Bowerstone were slowly being snatched up and turned into hobbes. Mystic didn't have to go far to find the estranged mother. Her sobs echoed through the Bowerstone roads, wafting through an open window. This way, the entire town could know her pain.

With five hard raps on the wood, a man came and opened the door. The candlelit lamp flickered, casting a shadow across the man's face. But it illuminated Mystic's, creating a heartwarming glow that she naturally exuded. "Hello," she greeted, a smile placed daintily on her lips. "I'm Mystic, the hero who's going to find your children." The man, who she assumed was the father and husband, nodded appreciatively. "Thank you so much for coming out," he stepped aside to let her in, shutting the door behind her. "Please, have a seat at the table while I get Emily." Mystic pulled the chair, slightly worn, and seated herself, resting her hands and the warrant on the table. The home was cozy, despite the obvious poverty that coated the walls. Bowerstone Old Towne was a dangerous place, now. Sparrow had seen to that. Guards were scarce in the region, and whatever were present could be paid off easily.

Emily came down the stairs, eyes puffy from crying. Her pauper blouse was drenched around the collar, from wiping tears. She fumbled with her apron as she seated herself across from Mystic, not making eye contact with the Hero. Mystic reached out, grasping Emily's hand. "We're here to help you, Emily," she reassured, "We'll get your children back, and all the missing Albion kids." She didn't say what she was thinking. That the kids were taken by hobbes. That they had become Hobbes themselves. And could be ransacking their town in the next few days.

Stepping from the household, Mystic exhaled, running hands through her dark hair, eyes scanning the streets. She had given the address to a certain pirate. He was to accompany her on the quest, and she waited patiently on a bench, rereading the warrant over and over.

Chicken Chaser Posts : 36 Renown : 43 Age : 34

Bloodstone was the place Savant loved to be. It was his home and his haven, the place to be for any pirate. He had holed up in a nice home, plastered with beautiful paintings and furniture he had plundered over the past decade. The bed was practically perfection and the liquor cabinet was always full.

So naturally, when a knock came at his door, Savant had a bottle in his hand and a jump in his step. He swung the door open to see a man, a messenger, who handed a neatly written letter to him before departing. Savant stared at it a moment before shaking his head. In curvy, feminine letters, an address was written, followed by the name Mystic. He placed his rum on a table nearby, then grabbed his coat. Throwing the strap of his cutlass's scabbard over his shoulder and grabbing at the pistol at his side, just to be sure, he departed within fifteen minutes.

Why, he wasn't sure. He just knew he wanted to see Church again.

So when he arrived at the address in Bowerstone Old Town and saw Mystic standing there alone, he was ecstatic. He wore his usual regalia--the loose pirating pants and shirt, his long leather coat and heavy black boots. Though the style was the same, the individual articles of clothing were different, indicating a sense of decency and cleanliness most uncommon in the pirating world.

"Hello, Miss," he said as he approached the girl. "What are we going today?"

Hero Posts : 108 Renown : 135 Age : 33

Mystic knew it would be a pain, traveling all the way from Bloodstone to Bowerstone. Even taking his ship took at least a day once he reached the coast of Westcliffe. And yet she felt that Savant was an excellent asset, especially when it came to quests. He knew his stuff, and while Mystic and Hammer were good at fighting, when it came to protecting innocents, well, they hadn't ever done it before. Three was better than two. But it might end up being two, depending on if Hammer decided to join them. Mystic rose from her spot as she saw Savant approaching, rolling up the warrant and shoving it beneath her belt. "Smoke Bullet," she greeted, nodding towards him, the white veil across her face hiding her smile. "Glad you could make it. I know the trip was...less that comfortable." She noted his garb, and couldn't help but chuckle. He was a pirate, but damn near the cleanest she had seen. He could be rivaled only to Reaver, the legendary Hero of Skill. He was still around, last she heard he was in Samarkand, living out his eternal youth. She began to walk down the path, her eyes trained only on Savant and not the poverty around her. The buildings were falling apart, and there wasn't a guard in sight. Children played in the mud, and were bullies, shoving and pushing and biting. Earlier, when two men got into a fight, one pulled out a pistol and shot the other, without any regard of guilt, and no punishment to follow. Old Towne was a dangerous place, especially at night.

She walked along the cobblestone, the silver boots clicking along the ground. Her clothes were the same as last, neglecting the armor this time and remaining as flowy, Will User trousers and a white loose blouse, a dark blue vest adorning her chest. "Several children have gone missing from both Oakfield and Old Towne," she began, recounting the warrant almost by memory. "That family specifically called out for a hero to rescue their son, Jacob and their daughter, Michelle. But knowing there are more children taken every day, we'll rescue who we can." She couldn't help but cast a glare at him, dark brown eyes leering over the white veil. She knew Savant was the type to do the bare minimum and escape with as much gold as he could. Like Hammer, but he was more sneaky about it. "We'll be returning to the hobbe cave we were at before. Hammer has decided not to join us, apparently." She paused and glanced over her shoulder. No dark skinned, hammer-wielding Hero was bounding towards them, suddenly awakened and confused. "He felt that it was a repeat, and didn't care much for the children. Vouched for slaughtering the family and taking the gold instead."

Suddenly, they had descended the stairs to the river and were standing on the road to Rookridge. She was already equipped, her katanas exed across her back, the crossbow down the middle. But her fingers, the veins slightly blue, were really all that she needed. "Any questions?" she asked, before advancing towards the road.

Chicken Chaser Posts : 36 Renown : 43 Age : 34

She called him "Smoke Bullet." That was probably the first time she addressed him as such, as strange as it may seem to him. He wasn't sure if he was OK with her calling him that even if she knew his real name. "Smoke Bullet" was his Hero name--the one people used when they didn't know him personally. The fact that she had given him her name showed she was comfortable with him, if not a little interested. He decided against questioning it aloud and followed her as she explained the quest.

As her Will-user's clothes waved in the wind, he couldn't help but notice how much she stood out from the backdrop. The dangerous, grungy Old Town of Bowerstone was painful to look at, filled with murderous thugs and deathly disease. Mystic, however, was stunningly beautiful and serene. Her face veiled, her hips swaying as she walked--it was no wonder Savant
found himself drawn to her.

Noticing all this didn't stop him from hearing her words, though. She explained the missing kids and the parents. When she glared at him, he knew what she was thinking. She didn't forget he was a pirate. She knew he wanted the money. So he responded to her.

"Listen, Mystic," he said, purposely choosing to use her Hero name as well. "I didn't come here for money. I came here because I got a lone address from a messenger. I hoped it would mean traveling with you and your brother again." He hoped that didn't sound too lovey-dovey. He wasn't in love with the girl. Sure, he was attracted to her, but that wasn't the reason he liked questing with the siblings. "I'm the only Hero on my ship. I have to say, I enjoyed myself questing with you two last time."

After she mentioned Hammer wasn't coming, he found himself sort of intrigued. When he had last seen the two of them, they mostly worked as a team. He couldn't see either one of them working separately nearly as well. Perhaps that was why he was here.

"So how are we getting there? Walking?" he asked.

Hero Posts : 108 Renown : 135 Age : 33

Slight elation was accompanied by his comment, admitting he liked just traveling and being with the pair of Heroes. But he didn't mask the confusion at Hammer's absence. She was uncomfortable with it. They rift between them had grown since the last hobbe quest, and after the meeting with Sage in Oakfield. They worked well together, she knew this, she healed and protected while he attacked and destroyed. But today he was not at her side, and she felt like half of her was left behind. She couldn't help but put a hand to her heart, as if to stifle a dull ache. "Well, I'm glad my brother and I could provide such comfort," she responded, her voice airy, with a slight tremble. "But this quest isn't just about fun and games and slaughtering. This one has something valuable at stake, that we must rescue, escort and protect all the way back here."

She turned again, standing at the edge of the road to Rookridge. "We could travel by the carriage," she replied, "but I feel the road to Rookridge itself could use some cleaning up. I heard some amateur bandits have moved in on the path, ambushing travelers and caravans." She placed her hands together, cracking her knuckles as if she were about to punch one. But in fact, loose fingers made for faster spells, and she had to be on guard. "It's also cheaper to walk, and much better exercise," she admitted, a small grin on her face before she began to walk along the road.

Within meters, the cobblestone path began a dirt worn one, weaving alongside the mountain. Mystic had removed the crossbow from her back and held it with both hands, eyes cautious as she made her way down the road. A light drizzle began to fall on her head. "I wouldn't be surprised if you knew some of these blokes," she spoke, mentioning the bandits," some seemed to talk like ex-pirates." She didn't say one had admitted to being previously part of Savant's ship while she handed him over to the Bowerstone Guards. But she was going to let him use his imagination.

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