Warwic

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"****!! God ******* DAmmit! OH ****! Where the **** is the door! AAAAHHH!!" Screamed Rafael as he pounded the wall, cursing through gritted teeth.

Rafael knew he was freaking out, and although he had many days of sewer crawling in his days in the thieves guild, he always knew the terrain and a way out, but this feeling was like nothing he had ever had before.

"Well you guys I guess we have to find another way out..." He finally resolved.

 

"Let's go back to the other room, clear the bodies out, and then set up camp for a while and rest. We need to sort out a strategy for what's happening with these shapeshifter things. Also figure out what happened to this wall and where the door is ? Did anybody see anything unusual or think they saw something, we're clutching at straws here folks; this means more than ever we need to stay together and act together. Let's pile up the bodies here against where the door was; anybody opening it from the other side will be in for a surprise then" having said this Fienna strolled back to the room and started dragging the body of an imp towards the wall.

 

Shawdup could tell people were getting angry, frustrated, and worried. He knew just what to do. Once they got back to the room, he and Shurka set down the shapeshifter they had tied to his long spear and he took out his lute and started singing.

"Here's a little song I heard, I learned from my mom the bard,
don't worry, keep fighting.
When you worry and fuss and fret, soon dead you'll be I bet,
So don't worry, keep fighting.

You just got to do your best, every day in life's a test.
So don't worry, keep trying.
If you give up, then you'll be dead.
Stinky dwarves will cut off your head,
So don't worry, keep trying.

Grumush will reward you well,
When you die and go to hell,
If you don't worry, and keep fighting,
So pick up your club, pick up your spear,
Smash that elf behind the ear,
Don't worry, keep fighting."

Once again, some of his verses caused certain members of the group to look at Shawdup with angry eyes, and he couldn't figure out why. Usually that song made all the other orcs want to get up and fight.

 

Shurka wiped a streaming tear from her cheek as Shawdup sang his beautiful ballad. She heaved another imp on the pile, then pulled a scrap of cloth from a pocket and swiped her face with it. That boy knew how to light the fire in your soul.

 

Fienna strolled over to Shawdup and speaking in orcish said "Listen boy and listen well, you're not in the orc caves now where singing songs about killing elves and dwarves is what people expect; now you're working with them, so think before you sing songs like that last one. That's all I'm asking is for you to think"

 

Kael felt more secure in the dungeon than he did in the town. Something about the darkness and places to hide. He could feel that the others were haveing problems dealing with it.

He felt as if he should be helping to comfort the others but his inexperience with the other races left him on the outside. So he just sat off to one side and quielty watched the others go about there things with the soft red glow of darkvision in his strange silver eyes.

 

Fienna looked at Kael sat to one side it was almost as if he was shy and yet it was obvious he was an Elf. She'd never heard of or met a shy elf they always seemed to slightly disdainful of humans and their affairs. She brushed such ugly thoughts away and then smiling walked over to Kael and in elvish "You can't do any good by yourself, there may be something you know that we don't and it's co-operation that's going to get us out of here" She gently pulled him up and brought him to the centre of the room.

Then speaking common again she said "We need to set up some guard roster while we rest, any body want to volunteer I'll I stand first watch".

 

"Me stand guard," Shurka said, scratching her chin. "After yous, okay?"

 

Shawdup had a strange look on his face. He was thinking, thinking hard. Doing what Fienna had asked him to do. He looked at the human woman, then at the dwarf, and the elf in the room with him, and suddenly had an epiphany. "Now I knows why the dwarf wanted to beat me up. Thanks you, Fienna. I try not to sing songs that make you mad anymore. I'll have to try and remember the other songs that my mother taught me. But we didn't sing them for the tribe, so it might sound a little funny at first." He picked up his lute and started playing quietly, trying to remember some of the other songs he knew, fiddling around with melodies.

 

"Everyone seems to be afraid in the dark. But I feel safe right now." Kael said to Fienna "I suppose I could help try to guide people around and keep an eye out for danger with my ability to see in the dark."

Walking to one of the walls, he lightly ran his fingers over the texture feeling the bumps and ridges. Looking for a seam.

 

Cayne walked over to the wall where Kael was, and closed his eyes. In the dark, it was better for him to close his eyes, and focus on the senses other than sight. He ran his fingers along the wall as well.

 

Brega, Greggor and Warwic the bird hurried to the tavern with the dungeon entrance. Warwic flew ahead, acting as a scout and relaying what she saw to Greggor telepathically. The bar was empty and safe for the trio to enter.

Greggor conjured a shimmering field around his body while Brega hauled open the trapdoor. "They dinna lock up afterwards, so there's hope yet," she stated. "Down ye go, mate."

The human slipped steathily down the ladder and immediately checked the nearby area for traps. Finding none, he motioned for the dwarf to come down. "I don't see the doorway to the test area," Greggor whispered.

"Nay, it's not there ta see. Something's hiding it from everything but dwarven senses."

"Magical barrier? No, even the rudimentary mages would feel the energy. A stone shaping spell perhaps?" Greggor called on the power of the earth beneath his feet. Dust swirled around him. He called to the stones and asked them to tell him where the doorway disappeared. The stones informed him the doorway was sealed by a magic-using humanoid not long after the other humanoids went through. "The students are okay," Greggor breathed to his companions. "They're on the other side of the wall and a little scared, but not overly hurt."

"There's nothing there but a room for resting," Brega grumbled. "What could have attacked them there? An ambush?" At the bard's nod, the cleric growled deep in her throat and placed a stubby, calloused hand upon the bare wall. The wall seemed to melt under her touch, creating an opening and showing the students on the other side.

 

As the stone right in front of his face vanished and he was looking into the eyes of Brega, Kael let out a little shout and stumbled backwards bumping into Dala again.

 

"We are under attack!" Yelled Rafael, unsheathing his rapier and running to the new opening in the wall. He saw Kael jump back, from fear Rafael thought, into Dala. Rafael was about ot make a leap at the shadow in the new entrance but stopped short and dropped is sword.

"Brega!"

 

Fienna turned at the Rafael's cry "Praise to the Gods, it's the teachers perhaps they know what is afoot"

 

Greggor took the lead, much to his reluctance. He glanced at the kids and licked his lips nervously. When Brega gave him the okay, he nodded. "There's a problem." With a gusty sigh, he continued. "A doppleganger has taken over the school. It is currently residing as Warwic. We think the reason why is to take over the students too. That's about all we know right now. I think it's best for all of us to leave."

"I'll be gettin' the others while you stay here," Brega rumbled. "And don't be paranoid. My sight is seeing you as who you are, so no shapeshifters amongst ye. We'll be back as soon as we can." She thumped the bard on the shoulder and scurried up to the tavern.

 

Shawdup followed everyone else. It felt like when the tribe had to flee from the wood elves. Nobody knew what was going on. Since Shawdup rarely knew what was going on, he felt right at home.

 

"We go back da way we came," Shurka's orcish tone startled the silence away. Her scarred face showed determination. She side-stepped around the others and stood in the doorway, half-turning as she paused. "Dey was nice ta me. Didn't throw rocks or call me names or nuthin'. Dey helped me 'n me's gonna help dem."

The others heard her footsteps and the creaking of the wooden ladder as she climbed upward.

 

Fienna sat down with her back to a corner from here she could see the whole room if she wished; but she was thinking. She'd done it again without thinking about it she'd started to take charge, to make people feel part of a group and useful. Absent-mindedly she stroked the hawk on her shoulder as she thought back to her childhood where she'd organised the games and activities and when things went wrong taken the blame and responsibilty. That was with her friends who knew her and didn't mind, but doing it with strangers that she didn't know and where the decisions if they went wrong couldn lead to pain, injury or worse. She shuddered at that thought, she needed to talk to someone but who ? The logical person was Warwic but she wasn't herself at the moment; Oh what to do.

 

Shurka crawled through the trapdoor and stood inside the tavern. Looking around, she saw she was alone and it didn't sound like anyone was coming up after her. Her hand clenched around her club, sweat beading on her brow from fright. Dwarves generally didn't move fast, so Brega should be within screaming distance. Shuddering, the halforc muttered, "Why me think that? Me not gonna scream."

She stepped carefully across the planked floor to the open door of the building. Not far now became the mantra in her skull. The light spilling in from outside seemed to grow dimmer as the shadows slithered along the edges. Her feet tripped up due to anxiety and she gave in to her primal urge, bolting like a horse from a firey stable out the door.

The bright sunlight momentarily blinded her and she staggered into something. Yelping loudly, she swung wildly at the obstacle, connecting with a solid thud of wood against metal.

"Ye daft child! Ye were to stay with that blasted bard where it was safe!" Brega bellowed as she deflected the hit of the club.

"No," Shurka replied. "Me want to help. Hidin' is for goblins."

The dwarf rolled her eyes and shook her beard. "Fine then, but you do exactly what I say and no backtalk! First, we got to get to the fighter hall and warn Korden and Lavertym about what's happening. Then, you," she prodded Shurka in the ribs "will get back under the tavern and get the others away from here. The three of us will see to Warwic."