In camp, some days after leaving the valley of chaos and cold.
“I’ve a thought… what if we don’t have to kill the giant to get the sword? Don’t get me wrong, I’m all for killing the giant, but it seems like there is a lot of other things going on, and the longer this takes, the more… strange things get. Maybe we should try to deal with the swords first.
“The giant is our goal because of the Twice Broken Sword, be believe it is in the fort, right?
He looks at all his companions.
“Raff is… concerned about the Twice Broken Sword, but the Chaos Blade is not, correct?
He looks at Alexis.
“We know Earycka has more access to the inner workings of the fort that we do…”
He looks around at every one and pauses to see see if at least Alexis and Red are following his line of thinking…
“We are deal-makers after all…”
6 thoughts on “Beyond the Trail of the Giant”
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Alexis shakes his head at the last line, like he would at a joke that makes others groan.
Alexis looks at Telosh “it doesn’t take a scholar to know the biggest, possibly the only, reason why things are getting stranger. Are you suggesting that if we stay longer you will continue to unleash chaos upon the valley? Should we send you away to unleash wild magics elsewhere?”
Alexis holds up both hands, palms forward. “You brought up Earicka, who considers us enemies and hindrances to her plans. What ‘deal’ are you hoping ‘we’ will make with her? I assume you are not considering betraying Raff to her.”
Telosh looks confused and snorts back a laugh.
“You think I am causing the winds and wild magic? I admit, I’ve been able to feel it, far more than I expected I would be able to after you threw Ne – the doll into the pit. But it is not mine, I think it is either something that has been here a long time, think of the sunken city, think of the giant, I did not cause these things any more than I caused the storm and strange beasts.”
Telosh looks at Gustav for a moment.
“The Sword Chaotic may be the source, or perhaps the sword is interacting with powers that have been here even longer. Perhaps I have opened the door a bit more? I have dipped my toe into the raging currents, even since we closed the Pit, but I assure you Alexis, I am not the source that is unleashing chaos on the valley.”
Telosh considers Alexis words about Raff and Earicka for a moment, and sighs.
“Neither of them are our allies, and our goal is the Twice Broken Sword…”
Telosh shrugs,
“Betrayal feels like a too strong a word, but if that’s how you view it, we better get that Giant’s head soon.”
“Some blame the careless hedge wizard for playing with pyrotechnics that burn down the villages in the area. Our theoretical hedge wizard will blame the dry conditions, the wind, the distraction that allowed his magic to get away from him. But without the hedge wizard being careless none of the rest would matter.”
“As for Earicka, I’m glad we have a better understanding about who we are. We are not bounty hunters. Or assassins. We stand against the Dark Hand, and I will not become like them to fight them.”
Telosh smiles a bit.
“Very well, let’s stop mucking about and kill that giant then. We’ve got a mission for the gnoll-goddess to complete after all. “
“We are not here FOR She-Who-Is-Fierce. We do not do this mission for her. We are on the path of the peace-makers because we refuse to let the slavers enslave more of our fellow men; our brothers against the darkness. We refuse to let the Dark Hand steal the artifacts that belong to all of humanity and use them against us all. That’s why we do this mission.”
Telosh looks a bit confused for a moment, and then smiles and nods, seeming to finally understand a connection he has been missing.
“I apologize for distracting us from the mission Alexis, and I am eager to move forward however you feel it is best to do so.”