Chapter 1: Friends in Need

"My internal systems are significantly compromised. The symptoms are mainly a lack of rigidity and modular movement range, resulting in greatly reduced speed." R3N-L3 voiced. He looked down at the bodies for a long moment when Lauretta suggested taking them back. It was difficult to tell how much Lauretta's rousing speech affected him, if it did at all, but R3N-L3 did begin bundling bodies together, hauling the largest bundle without too much effort, although a couple sparks flew out of the gaping wound in his chest.

"Yes! The scroll should be destroyed. How best to do it? Flames also?" Wolfram asked.

It was true they had put an end to the kidnappings and had come out of it alive. It was a relief that it was all over.

Watching the hulking automaton get started with moving the dead, Lauretta wondered whether he was doing so because he actually believed it was the right thing to do or just to ensure cohesion in the group. Either way, his behavior since meeting one another demonstrated fluidity and capacity for critical thinking to her. She was determined not to treat him like the soulless machine that he appeared to be. Even if a great deal of what he said about his function sounded like nonsense.

"Thank you for helping out, Renly. Hopefully we can get you fixed up soon. As for the scroll, burning it also sounds good, but not on the same pyre as the dead. I'd rather keep the two separate. Since there was also loose coin found, perhaps we pool it with the reward we expect from the innkeeper before trying to split it evenly? Might be easier that way. I don't care about any of these other things strewn about the place."

With the last of her thoughts voiced, she started helping R3N-L3 carry the bodies to the entrance of the tomb. Passing by the other stairwell the group didn't descend, a part of her wondered if they were leaving the job unfinished.

Tzal eyed the scroll for a minute when it was decided that it would be burned. His mind was interested to know how such an abhorent spell functioned. Was it his inquisitiveness to know how it functioned or was it something else? He finally pushed down those thoughts and turned to helping others carry the dead. Necromany was bad enough; surely there were other more esoteric schools of magic that he could learn in the future.

Wolfram followed Tzal's eyes and, as if reading his mind, slowly shook his head no, don't even think about it, in an almost threatening gesture.

He then helped with moving the dead.

Like Tzal, Aazim didn't want to burn the scroll just yet. He didn't necessarily want to learn necromancy itself, but by examining the scroll, they could learn how to counteract such foul magic in the future.

But rather than argue, the Jann helps move the bodies outside; he has other plans. Once there's a lull in the work, and the entire group is together, he clears his throat and addresses everyone:

"This group's cohesion has improved remarkably in a short amount of time, and if we stuck together, we could probably accomplish much. Unfortunately, our paths will no longer coincide, as I've decided to leave."

"My reasons? To put it simply, to heal mentally and physically. These battles have taken a toll, as has all the recent drama. As you all know, I'm not from this land, and not used to such...intense adventuring. Perhaps I'm not cut out for it after all. Or perhaps I need to fortify my mind and body before attempting more dangerous missions...."

He bows to each member of the party, then places the strange orb he found on the ground, for anyone to pick up.

"I hope we meet again. Fare well!"

Aazim then re-casts his Earth Affinity to protect himself, and heads off down the nearest path. To where, who can say...?

Aazim's farewell caught Lauretta off-guard. The camaraderie that was building between the group had her convinced that they would be sticking together after this mess of an adventure. At the same time, she couldn't blame him at all for leaving. It was intense, as he said. If her blood and gut-covered visage was anything to go by, this life wasn't for the feint of heart. After all, there was frequently a war inside about the wisdom of wandering as an adventurer over settling down at a temple somewhere. If she hadn't been a soldier so many years, then she probably would've decided to leave as well.

Finally making it back to Traveler's Rest, Lauretta was quick to offer condolences and help with funerary practices once it was appropriate. Sash and Pyre would receive a friendly send-off as well once it was time for them to take their leave. With the free room and board, Lauretta spent the time and money to have her priest uniform cleaned up the best it could. Her arsenal was also expanded by the purchase of a bow. Precision and dexterity were never her talents, but it was important to have a ranged weapon when the situation called for it. Besides, her training in the priesthood of the High One taught her how to channel god's will in the ways of combat.

All that had occurred before and during the fight in that miserable tomb had left Lauretta doubting her capabilities as a priest somewhat. Particularly, the fighting with Aazim. I should have been more patient with him. She blamed herself somewhat for his leaving. The encounter with the Silver Coins certainly wasn't inspiring either. It seems the path the High One is setting me on isn't any easy one. But I guess I should've expected as much with the one I've led so far.

To reaffirm her resolve and atone for what she saw as failures, Lauretta locked herself in her room for two days without food, water, or sleep. In the wake of this, her strength of will was as fierce as it was before. Her time thereafter was spent helping the people of Traveler's Rest, especially those faithful in the High One. While she was no carpenter that could construct a shrine, she did consecrate some water for the folk and herself. Before continuing on with her adventuring company, she penned a request of joining to the Holy Order of Templars.

R3N-L3 hadn't seemed surprised to see Aazim go, but then again, he hadn't yet shown any significant emotion to anything, including his own near-demise. Later on in the private confines of his room, which he accepted this time, he spent the time betwixt twilight and sunrise adding on reinforcement to his armor and replacing, repairing, refining his inner workings until they whirred as swiftly and as smoothly as they had ever since he'd left the Wizard's prison.

Then, he decided that he needed yet further reinforcement if he was to continue being able to persecute Wizard creations. When R3N-L3 finally left the confines of his room, he had somehow shrunk in stature by a couple inches, but his chassis was now impossibly dense and interlinked in peculiar, yet fascinating patterns.

Tzal immersed himself in studies after the quest for the missing persons was over. He spent most of his time gathering whatever tomes he could get regarding alchemy and physiology. Sometimes, when it was necessary, he provided fresh drinking water to everyone at Travelers Rest. Sometimes he taught children in Travelers Rest, trying to aid the people in whatever way he could. As time passed, he started to visit some local farmers and ask curious requests that no sane man would ask. One day, he tried to buy a swine, the next day a chicken, and someday a diseased cow that was going to the slaughterhouse. Late in the night, in a secluded barn, he started experimenting on these cattle, injecting them weird concoctions that would often cause them either to scream or to fall down only to wake up next morning. The farmers stayed away, not complaining because he brought those cattle, and they were bad batch either way. A month later, all the animals survived, and it seemed that they were cured of all ailments. Smiling to himself, Tzal returned and wrote an elaborate letter, sending it to the closest city. Hoping that his request would be answered, he waited for the seller to arrive.

Wolfram would never openly acknowledge it, but when the grieving children lamented the loss of their loved ones, their sorrow struck a deep and unexpected chord within him. Was he beginning to understand empathy? It appeared so.

In his time in the village, he found a man to teach him unarmed fighting. Too many times, he had come up short when all he had was a dagger at close quarters, and even then, he had often thrown it so that nothing was available to him but his fists and legs. With practice, he found that he was becoming adept at this new technique. As a token of thanks, he went into the woods and brought back a fine buck with tall antlers. He gited both the antlers and the meat to the village. This was also uncharacteristic of him, for he had been a man that cared only for himself, alone in the woods keeping his own company.