The Tales of Rusty - 4

More work! - second installment

Next day at noon I left the Exodar again, I felt much better. Which was a luck seeing what this day held in store.

Outside I ate what I had in the company of the elekks and their masters, and I fed one curious elekk all the murlocs’ cheese. Aalun chided me for feeding her elekks, an old joke between us. I always feed what I have left to the elekks, especially Fant, a purplish calf to whom I’ve taken a special liking.

Feeding the elekks

Well all good things have to pass, so I said my goodbyes and went east to find Kessel’s nagas. Shortly after having crossed the road, a weak voice hailed me in Furbolg. The princess of the Stillpines had been taken prisoner. I knocked out the nearest guards and searched their pockets for the key. When I reached the cage, The princess told me that High Chief Bristlelimb had the key himself and had sworn to offer her royal self to their gods at the next new moon. As the moon was full the night before, I had some time and promised her to return before then.

I then continued west and soon found tracks of Kessels fish people. Half eaten fish bones lay in the grass and there was a strange, fishy smell to the otherwise clean sea breeze. I sneaked closer. On the top of a small rise, I saw a broken temple, and crests of nagas over the walls. I saw a worn path through the grass leading up there, heavily guarded by blue naga warriors and paler magicians. I picked up several small stones and threw one on the warrior closest to me. He looked in my direction, and I made a rude gesture intended to make him charge me. It worked like magic, and in one to one combat I was able to best all of the naga. After fully catching my breath, I ate a bit of a sweet pear pie, emptied my hip flask and hid it with my back pack in the bushes.

 I crept into the ruin itself. There he stood, Xiz. a head taller at least than his fellow nagas, watching over two treasure chests. His hair or whatever it was, was red as blood and his shining sword was half again as long as mine. “Maybe I can tease him as well? It worked nicely with the other nagas, and an angry fighter is a bad fighter.” I drew a slow breath, whispered a prayer to the Naaru and said the phrase intended to bring nagas in a frothing rage. It worked! He lashed after me with more anger than skill, and I was able to catch his sword with my shield. I feinted and parried a lot, dancing around, teasing him and making him even more angry and reckless. And finally I saw my chance. He barred his left side with an angry lunge for my head, and I planted my own sword squarely in his heart. After checking my cuts, none of them serious, I opened the chests and found an assortment of things reminding of the murlocs’ chest. I wonder if they are related in any way. I found some rusty armour obviously from a fallen warrior, some hard cheese (what’s with cheese in chests, don’t they have cupboards?), a freshly baked bread - strange things happen - some semi-precious stones and 3 pieces of leather. I took it all and retrieved the the banner from my back pack while doing so. I placed it firmly in Xiz’ dead body and sneaked off. It was high time, some of the farther away guards had heard our fighting, or rather Xiz’ yells, and were arriving to check on him. I ran head over heels through the woods until I was brought up sharply by the sight of hostile furbolgs. Not Stillpine ones obviously. Bristlelimbs. Like the ones who had kidnapped the princess! I sank into the shadows of the nearest tree. When the two Bristlelimb warriors were again turning their back, I crept away. Live to fight another day.

After fetching my pack in the bushes I went back to Kessel’s crossing without further inciden. I told Kessel that the Nagas would probably not bother him any longer, and received his praise and a token of his gratitude. I fed the cheese to one of the elekks, which gate me a good rubbing in exchange. Oh how I would like to own one of these faithful and merry mounts.

Gnawing on another of his sand pear pies, I returned to my rooms, where I rested and studied while my mail shirt was repaired.

In-game notes: Levels 12-15.