Kesh’gar peered down into the swirling mass of clouds beneath him. He never imagined he could be so far up above everything. The forest that raised him seemed so far away by this point. He looked for his brother to share his excitement but Moss was so transfixed by the view, Kesh felt it might be wrong to bother him. He adjourned himself back into the cabin to check on the rest of the party. The group had their own chambers to themselves. It came with 6 bunks so they determined they would just share the room. As Kesh’gar entered, he saw his young devilkin companion who appeared to just be waking from a nap in her bunk.
“Sleep well?” Kesh’gar inquired
Roze stretched and yawned. “Yes actually. However, I don’t quite remember falling asleep. I must have been more tired than I thought.
“It happens. We’ve been through a lot. You especially. Having to fight those thieves guild guys twice was pretty intense. Not to mention the whole thing with the seer.” Kesh settled himself on his own bunk and looked across at Roze.
“What happened with the seer?” Roze seemed genuine in her question.
“Well, your card seemed pretty ominous. I know you’re a devilkin and everything and sometimes you get a bad rep for having fiendish blood. As a half orc I definitely relate. People judge me all the time for the tusks. So if that whole thing was bothering you I would definitely get it.”
“It's not bothering me. I went in to figure out my arcane affinity and I did. I don’t see why I should dwell on it further than that.”
Kesh’gar was taken aback for a moment by the bluntness of the response. “You’re right I guess. It doesn’t really matter.” Kesh looked at Roze’s new clothing. The exquisiteness of the silk robes embroidered with the intricate yellow hare crest on the chest gave the sorcerer a much more stately appearance than the first time they met. “So is this what you normally wore growing up? That’s why people started calling you ‘robes’?”
“What? No, my name isn’t ‘Robes’ I keep telling you it’s-”
Niera came barging into the room before Kesh could hear what Roze was saying. Draped along her shoulders was Rhenigan who seemed to have over indulged in the drinks being offered in the dining hall. Niera promptly dropped Rhenigan on the floor just near his bunks before turning to Kesh and Roze.
“Well, Rhenigan has made himself quite useless so I’ve taken the liberty of reworking the patrol schedule. Kesh’gar I know you were just on deck but I’m going to need you to head back up. Roze, you’re with Hazel patrolling the back of the ship. I’ll go check in with the ship’s crew captain and join you in a moment, Kesh.”
Niera became so serious when she was working. Kesh’gar had learned quickly since arriving in Yellowfield that the Suu’mahri, were not a common race but, they possessed potent celestial powers and dedicated themselves to the service of the common people. Niera seemed to throw herself head first into every task and tried to direct the party along as if they were nothing more than her loyal troops. Regardless of her status in the town or her skill in combat, Kesh did not feel that he was subservient to any adventurer. Unfortunately, the current request held too much reason for Kesh to protest. He had no choice but to collect his things and head back up to the deck of the ship.
The ship was quickly approaching the Dunberland/Jhaogosian border and Kesh was sure they would see some kind of action soon but, so far it had been an uneventful and fairly boring trip. He finally found his brother past a small gathering of passengers. Moss seemed to be staring thoughtfully into the blueness of the sky.
“A whole lot different than home, yeah?” Kesh asked as he approached his brother and nudged him.
“Yeah. Mom and Dad would be blown away by this view.” Moss turned and nudged Kesh back in his familiar loving way. “Listen, Kesh, we need to talk. These people we’ve been traveling with, are you sure they’re all trustworthy? This Hazel woman is a thief and Roze just gives off this energy everytime she fights. I worry about you Kesh’gar. We’ve been in two fights already since we started traveling with them and you could have been hurt. I don’t know what I’ll do if I watch you go down and don’t get up.”
Kesh’gar felt his stomach turn as he listened to his brother speak. In all his life he had never heard Moss speak this way. The concern in his voice made Kesh feel almost guilty. This entire journey filled him with a feeling of excitement and the thrill of his life being gambled in every fight sent adrenaline through his blood in a way that exhilarated him. It hadn’t occurred to him that his brother could be having the exact opposite response to everything.
Kesh’gar searched for something to say that might alleviate his brother’s worries when his thoughts were interrupted by a sudden commotion from the other passengers. Before long, they were all being ushered back into their bunks by the guard staff on the ship. Kesh was grabbed by Moss who pulled him out of the crowd and towards one of the guards.
“We’re members of Palamedes. We were hired as additional security. What’s going on? Why are we being placed in lockdown?” Moss was characteristically calm and direct, speaking with a sense of earned authority.
“An unauthorized person has landed on the ship. It could very well be a bandit scouting us out. We’re in the border zone between Dunberlan and Jhagosia so calling for aid might cause an even larger issue. Your party is already with the intruder on the back deck of the ship interrogating him.”
Moss pushed past the guard in a hurry while calling back to Kesh’gar. “Let’s go. Quickly!”
The two made their way through the ship to the back deck, a lower balcony section of the vessel that served as a loading point to land smaller row boats or bring in shipments while in the air. The area was a semi circular shape bordered by a narrow railing to prevent passengers from falling overboard. As Kesh broke through the small border of guards he saw the remainder of his party. In the back stood Hazel and Roze with Rhenigan right in front of them with his rifle aimed at the intruder. By the balcony was Niera who had already drawn her weapon against a man standing just at the edge of the deck. The man was dressed in furs and leather armor but despite being armed, he was already raising his arms and looked panicked.
“What the fuck is that?” Moss whispered to Kesh. It finally brought his attention to what must have really set everybody on edge.
As Kesh’gar turned his gaze over he saw a towering beast. The creature was a curious amalgamation of animals the Kesh could recognize individually. The back half being a horse but the front half being hawk, Kesh had been told of this creature by his parents often. Hippogriffs were a beautiful and majestic creature, known for being reclusive and making their nest high in mountainous regions. A perfect companion for bandits that attack sky ferries, Kesh thought to himself retrospectively. The creature was being restrained by some of the ship's crew with nets and lassos but was putting up a formidable fight.
Kesh’gar’s attention was pulled back by the voice of the intruder. “I’ve already told you. My name is Tempid. I’m a scout from the Cloud Raiders, but I’m not here to cause any problems. I need your help. My people were attacked by the giants living on the mountain and we can’t win. The giants will kill nearly everyone and those who aren’t killed in battle or eaten will be taken prisoner and forced into manual labor which will likely get them killed anyway. If you don’t help us my people are doomed. Yes, we have stolen from people, but we made it a point not to harm anybody. There are more people than just bandits living in our camp too. We have our families and children. I’m being entirely honest with you because I need you to trust me but we don’t have much time and if I go to the nearest town they’ll just try to have me arrested and executed.”
“Good. You’re a thief who should answer to the law. You’re clan or family or whatever was complicit in your crimes and I don’t see why we should risk our lives saving future criminals. Those complicit in the face of injustice are just as guilty as the perpetrators, children or not. Your choices dragged them into this situation, so I suggest you make choices to get them out now.” Niera responded with a level of coldness that made Kesh’s blood boil.
“Wait! We can’t just let those people be killed. A little stealing doesn’t deserve a death penalty at the hands of giants. You’re just being cruel, Niera.” Kesh tried to speak as calmly as possible, but he was fighting the urge to grab his spellbook.
“I’m being realistic, Kesh. There’s no guarantee we survive against giants on their turf. What about the village we’re supposed to protect? Who saves them if we die saving thieves? Make a choice here.” Niera’s logic was cold but Kesh’gar couldn’t deny it was sound.
“The only reasonable choice here is to go ahead and arrest the bandit we have here and at least collect our reward for that when we reach our stop. He might get lucky and the guards will send some forces to deal with the giants since they seem to be posing a threat anyway.” Rhengian called from the back.
“Arrest? I haven’t wronged you. I’m here asking for help,” pleaded the bandit onto apathetic ears.
“You already admitted yourself that you’re a bandit and that you’re wanted in a few towns. I have a duty to turn you in, by force if necessary.” Niera responded.
“Wait, that's not fair at all,” Hazel was now calling out from the back of the group. “His people were doing what they had to do to survive in those mountains and they didn’t truly harm anybody. Even if we can’t help them we can at least let him go to find somebody who can save his family. He took a risk coming out here and we lose nothing by turning a blind eye and showing him some forgiveness.”
“Forgiveness? What has he done to earn any forgiveness? Turning himself in peacefully when he needs something from us? No. Had his people not been attacked they would be here attacking us right now,” Niera started to laugh as she spoke. “You’ve got to be kidding me. This is so black and white it's funny. He’s a bandit. We’re future knights. We arrest bandits. He’s not gonna turn his whole life around just because we let him go. People aren’t like that. Somebody who’s capable of wronging others will always be capable of wronging others and I can’t forgive that.” As the words left Niera’s mouth Kesh saw something fly past him.
“Nimue.”
The bandit standing in front of Niera was suddenly losing his footing and falling back against the railing. Everything started to move so slowly Kesh thought he was under the effects of a spell at first. Hazel had propelled her broom directly into the chest of the bandit knocking him overboard. The man began to plummet before anybody could move to catch him.
Kesh’gar could hear the hippogriff wildly throwing guards away trying to break free to save its master but the ropes were securing it tightly. He turned to see Hazel fixated on the broom which was now levitating just over the railing. She flicked her wrist and the broom propelled downward in the direction of the bandit. She then drew a dagger from its sheath and threw it directly at the guards restraining the hippogriff. The knife cleared each of the men but cut cleanly through ropes allowing the creature to gain enough space to pull free. As the wings of the Hippogriff spread the crew had no choice but to release the bindings or be dragged overboard with it. The hippogriff dived over the edge of the ship traveling straight for its master. Kesh watched from the edge of the deck to see the man barely holding onto the broom, only letting go when his companion was safely beneath him. The relief he felt was short-lived as Rhenigan began firing his rifle at the man from the ship’s deck.
“Don’t just stand there Kesh’gar! Shoot him down! He’ll get away!”
“Enough of this! Let him go.” Kesh’gar tried to make his point clear with his tone but the added electricity now coursing through his hand aided his threat. Kesh’gar could see Moss now turning his spear on Rhenigan as well.
“I suggest we all calm down and let the man go before I lose my temper.” Rhenigan spoke the words without a trace of anger but Kesh’gar felt deeply unsettled.
Niera turned away from Rhenigan and ran to the edge deck to watch as the bandit was safely making his escape into the clouds. “What the fuck is wrong with you!? We help bandits now?”
“I’m so sorry. I do hope you can forgive me. I’d hate for you to have to arrest me too.” Hazel responded
Kesh’gar looked first at Niera to see what she might say. Her face whipped around seething with rage as she faced Hazel. But then, it softened into an expression that Kesh’gar couldn’t fully read.
Confusion? Guilt?
He traced her gaze over to Hazel where he expected contempt, but instead was met with an expression that he could clearly recognize.
Betrayal.
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