Game 4Game 4 Outline| Game 4 |
Game 4 Outline |
You try to calm yourself and think. You're not really sure what you could do, but you need to do something to get your mind off your predicament. Taking a breath to steady yourself, you say, "Um... I... I don't know what you think I could do... I... I want to do something, but I don't know..."
Zegie just chuckles. "You never know until you try. Just come along and just do what you can." He picks up a sheathed longsword and passes it to you. "Here, just take this and come with us. I don't think you're weak - something tells me you're stronger than you look - and at the very least it's something to do."
You admit to yourself that the last bit, at least, is true. And with Zethall now shooting you an acidic look, you decide it might be best if you get out for a while. So you agree to follow Zegie and Onetas for training and hunting. Meiphusis stands as well, muttering something about "checking the traps".
Once in the forest, you follow shortly behind Zegie and Onetas, though not too far. You've learned a bit more about the four of them since you left the hut. Zegie is a warrior from a tiny village by the mountains. He is the most outgoing, and an unofficial leader for the group. Onetas had trained as a knight, before befriending Zegie and abandoning his noble family for the promise of adventure. Zethall is from a merchant family, and is both a merchant and a minor mage. Though the calmest, and the one who tends to settle arguments and (as you suspected) holds the group together, he is also very old-fashioned, and stuck in his ways. Meiphusis, the ex-thief, is the most mysterious. What is known is that he joined the group after retiring from thievery, having been in one fight too many. Ironically, he is the most progressive of the group, seeing everyone as exactly equal until he can judge based on skill and merit (and personality).
When they ask you about yourself, though, you turn evasive. You maintain that your name is 'Arra', and that your homeland is a long way away "across the sea". But then Onetas asks how you came to be here. You stumble slightly, but catch yourself. "I... uh... I... I don't really remember..." you say quietly, absentmindedly tugging at the ribbon holding your hair up. "I was back home, and... I, ah... something made me pass out and... when I woke up I was in a cave, and..." you pause as your hair ribbon comes out, letting your black hair fall loosely down to your waist. You quickly tie the ribbon around the sword handle and continue the story. "I tried to look around but... I was tired and fell asleep where you found me." It's technically true, and you really are nervous, so you don't have to pretend.
Onetas seems to take pity for the 'lost, frightened girl' you appear to be, and tells you that you'll always be welcome to stay with them. Although you appreciate the offer of help, your mind has not changed with your body, and you dislike the pity. This is apparently obvious to the others, as Zegie chuckles once while Onetas just smiles softly, and they resume the trek.
Suddenly, you hear snapping and rustling somewhere off to the side, like something is moving carelessly. All three of you quickly turn towards the source of the sound, which quickly shows itself...
Written by N.
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