The Sarcophagus Legion I

[JadedDM]

The boy looks around the room, obviously a bit enthralled...and a tad intimidated. His attention is immediately refocused on Babushka when she speaks to him. "I am called Nejo, Mistress Babushka," he says. "It feels like ages ago, but it was just yesterday that it all happened. We were traveling along the caravan. The princess, Syriana, was well-guarded by a number of men. But I never saw her myself. She was kept safely in a sedan with the veils pulled closed."

This child seems remarkably articulate and well-spoken for one his age. He seems to almost enjoy telling this story, as if he were retelling some saga for an attentive audience. "It was night when the bandits struck. We had made camp. Even then, the princess always remained in her sedan, her guards alert for any trouble. One of the camels got loose, and I was sent to retrieve it. Although I grumbled at the task, I am now thankful for it was that camel that saved my life. While I was out looking for it, the bandits came. I heard shouts and steel against steel. I hid behind a dune, climbed to the top, and carefully peeked over it to watch the fight. By the light of the red moon, I saw many men slaughtered."

The boy hesitates a moment, as if lost in the memory, but quickly snaps back to reality. "After the bandits left, I waited another hour, before crawling down to the battlefield. Everyone was dead, their throats cut from ear to ear." He moves his finger across his own throat for emphasis. "I looked in the sedan, but it was empty. And the princesses' body was nowhere in sight. They had taken her, no doubt as spoils along with any other valuables. I took one of the horses that still lived and rode like the wind back to Ak-Tubal to report what I saw."

[Breila]

"You are a remarkable young man, Nejo" Babushka tells the lad with a smile. "You can tell the passage of time by the movement of the stars, and you can find your way in the desert at night. Also, you speak the common tongue very well, better than I could when I was your age, or even twice your age, for we gnomes live about twice as long as you men.

Now tell me, how many men were with your caravan? And how many attackers do you think there were?"

[JadedDM]

The boy beams at the praise. "Thank you, mistress. As I recall, there were twenty armed men in our caravan. That does not include porters like myself. The bandits were at least twice that many in number, from what I could tell."

[Breila]

Babushka whistles. "That's a strong and well-organized group. We need a good plan if we want to avoid the fate of the guards.

Tell me, Nejo, if you were sent to find that camel, I guess it means that you can read tracks? I can do that, too, but I'm not so good at it in the desert.

And Imani, if you are to come with us, we need to know your skills as well."

[Jenara]

"Nejo?" Locky says, after standing silently while Babuskha asked her questions, "Would you be willing to come with us? Just to the last place you found the Princess?" She asks softly, her eyes fixed on the Boy, while loosing a hand sounded interesting, she liked having them attached.

[Jerrard]

"Yes Imani, what are you skills?" Jerrard wants to ask more, yet discussing such things in the Study of one of the Black Robes was not advisable. He motions simply with his hand, encompassing the room.

His eyes fix on Locky on occasion, happy she is behaving herself well.

[HorizonsDream]

"I know the area in which his group was attacked," Imani says. "There is no reason to get him involved. He was lucky not to run into any other dangers on the way back home," she points out. There wasn't a chance she was going to get a boy as young as Nejo to come along with them. It was far too dangerous.

"What type of skills are you wanting to know?" Imani asks curiously. "If you are wanting to know if I can defend myself, I can assure you that I can."

[JadedDM]

"If you wish to hire my services as a porter, I should warn you, they do not come cheap," Nejo says. If the prospect of returning to the massacre frightens him, he does not show it. "At least one silver a day is my fee."

[Breila]

"Oh, of course" Babushka mutters to herself at Jerrard's gesture. But where should they make plans, if not here? And they had to make plans just to survive, let alone complete their task.

At Nejo's words, she smiles broadly. "If we do take you along, Nejo, it would not be as a porter. I am sure your skills are far broader than that. We might need you as a guide. As to how much we will pay for your service, we will discuss that once we know what we want to do."

[Jerrard]

"Agreed." Jerrard responds quickly, he glances around nervously, this was not what he had imagined, the Lady needed rescuing, of that he was certain. "This is an awkward situation, we were simply trying to get to know you, as our lives may depend on each other at some point." He gives a knowing glance to Babuskha, "So, they outnumber us, yet we have Locky." He grins.

[Jenara]

"Me?" Locky asks all excited, her topknot bouncing as she does so. "Yes we certainly wouldn't need a Porter, and I think Imani has offered to be our guide." She smiles softly, her little Kender features now re-considering the idea. "We should go there quietly, figure out where they are and plan from there."

[Breila]

"Yes. that is probably the best plan" Babushka agrees. "What would be the best time to set out, Imani?" she asks the Khur woman directly.

Somehow, she wasn't her usual friendly, optimistic self. Having experienced near death twice, then the city environment for months and now the desert... she wasn't all too comfortable in her skin.

[Jenara]

Locky pauses, grabbing Babuskha by the waist she gives her a huge hug. "Lets go!" she says with a grin.

[JadedDM]

"Well," Nejo says, ever the little business man, "my fee as a guide is at least 2 silver a day."

=====

It is now 12 PM (High Watch).

[HorizonsDream]

Imani frowns at the boy at this point, then shakes her head. "Off with you, Nejo," she says. She wasn't going to let some boy ruin this for her. "The desert is an extreme place," she explains as she turns back to the group. "During the day, it is blazing hot, and at night it is nearly freezing outside. Though, I suggest we leave as soon as possible so that they trail the bandits left doesn't get cold. It only takes a few hours to get to the place where the group was attacked. "