Male: “Hey, how much longer ’till we get to the town?”
Female: “I’m not sure let me see the map.”
Male: “Here you go.”
The man hands the woman a large rolled up piece of paper.
Female: “Is this the only map you have?”
Male: “Yeah, why?”
Female: “This is just a picture of a duck…There isn’t a map here at all!”
Male: “Ohhh…”
Female: “How the hell did you know where we were going?”
Male: “I…Welll…errr. *cough*”
Female: “Gene, you’re a moron.”
The female walks slightly faster so Gene is no longer next to her.
Gene: “Cotton, are you mad at me. Cotton, common I didn’t mean to spend the last of our copper on a duck picture but it was so beautiful. Common look at the picture it’s so cute.”
Cotton: “You’re right Gene let me see the picture again.”
Cotton rolls the picture up and ties it to one of her arrows.
Gene: “What are you doing?”
Cotton points her bow to the left towards the sky and pulls the arrow back.
Gene: “Please don’t do that Cotton, that’s my duck picture. Please I love it.
Cotton: “You love the duck picture? Well I would of loved to have a map so we can travel safely.”
Cotton releases the arrow.
Gene: “No!! Cotton, how could you do that to m…”
Cotton: “I think you mean ‘how could you do that to me’ not m.”
Gene: “Um, Cotton. You shouldn’t have done that.”
Cotton: “Why? Are you mad no…”
Monster: “CAROOOO!”
Gene: “Run!”
Cotton and Gene begin to run through the woods.
Gene: “Now you’ve done it Cotton, you’ve pissed off the Lord of Birds by shooting the Duck picture away.”
Cotton: “That’s not the Lord of Birds Gene! That’s an Old Archon.”
Cotton draws an arrow with a weird sign written on the shaft.
Cotton: “This should do some damage.”
Gene: “Which arrow are you using.”
Cotton: “The multishot one, I figured if it does kill the Old Archon it will at least…oofff”
Cotton was so focused on talking to Gene and preparing to fire her arrow that she failed to see the man in the path ahead.
Wanderer: “What the hell!”
The man stands up, and picked up his large sword off the ground.
Wanderer: “So you want to tussle, well fine I can throw fistiecuffs with you.”
Gene: “Woah hang on. We didn’t mean to knock you over; we were just running from some monster.”
Wanderer: “Well, looks like you’ll have to pay me.”
Cotton: “It was an accident.”
Old Archon: “Caroooo!”
Gene and cotton used the distraction of the Old Archon to run away from both the bird and the angry man.
Wanderer: “What the hell? Let me see your bow…!”
Gene: “Should we of left that man behind? I mean he might die.”
Cotton: “Gene, we had no choice, what happens if that guy kills the bird? He’s going to want us to pay him, just because I knocked him over.”
Gene: “I guess you’re right.”
Cotton and Gene ran down the path for some time before the Path veered right. Off to the left was a clearing with a few trees and bushes that sat at the base of a large hill.
Cotton: “Lets climb the hill and see if we can see the town.”
Gene: “Can we rest before we go up that hill.”
Cotton: “No, that guy might be right behind us.”
Gene: “Please we can hide behind a tree or in a bush.”
Cotton: “Fine, let’s…uh, go behind that tree and rest.”
Gene: “Cotton, why are we heading to Uruga anyways?”
Cotton: “Gene keep your voice down, if you want to talk you need to whisper. And we are heading to Uruga so we can pick up the mission to assassinate the Lord of the Temple of Spirits.”
Gene: “Ohh, is that Helga?”
Cotton: “Shhhh, keep it down.”
Wanderer: “Gwaaaah!! Where the hell are you two!? I’m going to kill you both, skin you and then make beautiful human skin jackets from said skin! Do you hear me! Skin jackets!!”
Gene: “Wow, he’s really mad.”
Cotton: “Well we did leave him for dead.”
Gene: “Well if we keep going forward we’ll be right behind him, what should we do?”
Cotton: “Ok let’s go up the hill, maybe we can see the town and find some other path there.”
Gene: “That sounds like a good idea, besides that man is scary and I don’t want to walk behind him.”
Cotton: “Common lets go.”
The two climb the hill.
Gene: “Is that the man down there?”
Cotton pulls Gene to the ground and covers his mouth.
Cotton: “Gene Shut up or he’ll hear you and find us.”
Gene: “mhhhmmmhhmmummmieeee peeeepeee”
Cotton: “Why would you try to talk while my hand is still over your mouth? When my hand is over your mouth it means listen. Now look ahead, you can see the town.”
Gene: “Mmhhm”
Cotton: “The only problem is that guy is setting up camp right off the path, so we can find a way to the town through the woods. Or we can wait until this guy falls asleep and try sneaking past him. Once we get to the town we should be safe from him, there will be plenty of guards.”
Gene: “mmmommkmm mmsmmommummnmmdmsm mgmmmoommmd.”
Cotton: “I’m going to take my hand off your mouth and you’re going to whisper what you just said.”
Gene: “I said ok, sounds good.”
Cotton and Gene sat at the top of the hill watching to the man for hours before he finally put out his fire and laid down.
Cotton: “Ok here in one hour we’ll try to sneak past him.”
Gene: “Cotton.”
Cotton: “Yeah Gene?”
Gene: “Do you see the carriage heading towards the man’s campground?”
Cotton: “Gene, he’s sleeping on the side of the only road that goes from Roumen to Uruga, I doubt that carriage is going for him. They’re probably just heading to Roumen.”
The carriage stops and four men step out and draw their swords as they walk towards the sleeping man.
Gene: “Should we help?”
Cotton: “No, this is the perfect distraction, if they kill him we walk past, if they wake him to fight them we run straight down the hill and head for the town. Sound like a plan?”
Gene: “Yeah, sounds like a plan.”
Soldier: “Wake up!”
Wanderer: “Can’t a man sleep out under the stars without being bothered by some low rate thugs working for peanuts?”
Soldier: “Under orders of the chief we are to take you into custody Mr. Wanderer.”
Wanderer: “Well then I guess you’ll have to tango with me.”
The Wanderer draws the sword from his side this time.
Soldier: “Wanderer we were not sent here to kill you.”
Wanderer: “Then you shouldn’t have come.”
The Wanderer swings his sword which catches one of the soldiers in the jugular.
Gene: “Holy shit! Did you see that?”
Cotton: “Come on Gene run!”
Gene and Cotton run down the hill and past the Wanderer and Soldiers who are engaged in battle.
Gene: “I see the gate!”
Soldier 1: “Halt!”
Gene and Cotton stop running as the two guards stationed outside the gate point their spears at them.
Soldier 1: “Why are you here?”
Cotton: “We were sent for by the Chief.”
Soldiers 1: “Why were you running?”
Cotton: “We’re simply in a hurry.”
Gene: “Cotton, I thought we were running because that Wanderer who wants to make jackets from our skin was distracted with those guards.”
Soldier 1: “Wanderer? What does the Wanderer look like?”
Gene: “Well he’s a make average height with a fohawk.”
Soldier 1: “What kind of weapons did he have?”
Gene: “I don’t think he had weapons, but I was too busy looking at some butterflies.”
Cotton: “He had three weapons that I could see, a sword that he kept at his side, a larger sword he carries in his hands and an axe he carries on his back.”
Soldier 1: “Do me a favor you two.”
Gene: “Ok.”
Soldier: “I’m going to head back into the town to get more soldiers together to go make sure the soldiers you saw are ok. I need you to wait here and make sure no one enters the town, unless it’s the group of soldiers.”
Cotton: “Can’t you’re soldier friend wait here while you’re gone?”
Soldier 1: “No, he’s not yet trained in hand to hand combat, and besides he’d never survive in one on one combat with the Wanderer if this is the person I think it is.”
Gene: “We’ll wait here.”
The soldier turns and runs through the gate. Cotton and Gene stand next to the guard that was left behind silently.
Soldier 2: “Someone’s coming.”
Cotton pulls her bow off her back and points at it at the oncoming person while Gene pull out his book of white spells and prepares to support Cotton.
Soldier 2: “It’s one of the soldiers!”
Once Wounded Soldier: “Th..th..the Wanderer..g..ot away.”
Soldier 2: “It’s ok, we’ll get you medical treatment, let’s go.”
Gene: “Wait; don’t take him in the town yet.”
Soldier 2: “We have to get him medical treatment!”
Gene begins to read a spell from his book and places his hand on the wounded soldier. A bright beam of green light burst from the skies and rains down on the group.
Gene: “There, you should be set now.”
Wounded soldier: “Thank you! I’m going to report to the chief.”
Soldier 2: “Roger.”
Before the once wounded soldier could enter the town a group of soldiers riding horses come racing out.
Soldier 1: “You two no longer have to stand guard here, by the way what are your names?”
Gene: “I’m Gene and she’s Cotton.”
Soldier 1: “Who is this?”
Soldier 2: “This is one of the soldiers that was sent to pick up the Wanderer.”
Soldier 1: “You should go report to the chief; my partner here will escort you.”
Soldier 2: “Let’s go.”
The once Wounded Soldier heads into the town escorted by soldier 2.
Soldier 1 turns to Cotton and Gene and eyes them up.
Soldier 1:”I’m sorry what were your names again?”
Cotton: “I’m Cotton and this is my husband Gene.”
Soldier 1: “Cotton the Sharpshooter and Gene the Guardian?”
Gene: “That’s us.”
Soldier 1: “It’s truly an honor to meet warriors as skilled as you two.”
Cotton: “Our skills are why we are here, the Chief sent for us.”
Soldier 1″ I see, please head in.”
Gene and Cotton head into Uruga and sit on the bench outside of the government building.
Gene: “Where are we going to sleep tonight?”
Cotton: “Well, we spent the last of our money on that stupid duck picture so we have no money.”
Gene: “We’d have a duck picture if you didn’t shoot it at the chicken monster.”
Cotton: “Old Archon.”
Gene: “This sucks.”
Cotton: “Maybe we could talk to the Chief and she could set us up with a place to stay for a while.”
Gene: “And some food.”
Cotton: “Wonder why it’s taking her so long to come out.”
Gene: “Oh, that’s why we’re sitting outside this building.”
Cotton: “Ohhh Gene, Sometimes I wonder about you.”
Adrian: “Cotton, Gene. It’s good of you two to come on such short notice.”
Cotton: “Hello Chief Adrian.”
Adrian: “Is there anything I can do for you?”
Cotton: “I require more arrows before we head out on our mission and we need a place to sleep for a night or two.”
Gene: “FOOD!”
Adrian: “Cotton I’ll let the blacksmith know about the arrows you’re in need of and let the keeper of the town’s inn know I called you here on business. That should give you place to stay for free. As for food, the inn should be able to provide that.”
Cotton: “Good, as for the mission. We’ll need more detail.”
Adrian: “I will share more intel about the mission at a later time. We have to wait for the rest of your team to get here.”
Gene: “What do you mean the rest of our team?”
Adrian: “Well you are both very skilled warriors but you’ll need more power to be able to overthrow Helga. So I called in a few more skilled people.”
Cotton: “Who are they and what skills do they have?”
Adrian: “I have to go to a meeting right now, you two are free to explore the town and buy things.”
Adrian hands Cotton a small purse of gold.
Adrian: “Considered it a gift from me.”
END OF PART 1