The sound of children playing and squeaking wheels hitting the stone road wake up Zonu as the sun gleams through the window. Zonu looks around but Solaris, Virren, and Kaizen are not in sight. He glances out the window but to his surprise they are not out there either. He stumbles around, putting on his trench coat and gathering his component bag before leaving his room. He maneuvers down the stairs and looks around for Mira who happens to be serving breakfast platters to some guests.
"Mira, where did the other three go?" Zonu asks as he looks around the room. "They are over at the church gathering their things." She replies as she is cleaning dishes. "Gathering their things? Where are they heading off to?" He says. "With you of course!" She says with a smile, her eyes squinting as she looks towards Zonu. Zonu couldn't help but crack a grin thinking about the Hounds of Xandra being together again. "Thank you Mira!" He says as he dashes out the door heading straight towards the church.
He pushes open the wooden doors and is met with the rest of the party with bags in each hand. "So you guys are traveling with Kaizen and I now?" He says nonchalantly. "Yeah! We are done with training at the church. This next stage we do on our own." Solaris replies as he throws the bags in the wagon. "Where should we go next?" Zonu questions as he looks through the bounty papers. "We are thinking of going to Tresmien Shores, there are a few bounties down that way plus it'll be a nice road trip while the masters are gone to their meeting." Kaizen says as he hops into the wagon. "It's just a week of travel." Everyone loads up and the party heads toward the front gate, exiting Razelbends.
The heavy breathing of a horse as it races through the prairie holding a mysterious person on its back. The horse is guided to a familiar scene, where the party met the bandits. The dark cloaked figure climbs off the horse and examines the scene. He picks up some rubble from Zonu's crushed rock spell and then sees the tracks leading away. His brown eyes dart back and forth surveying the scene, trying to piece together what happened. He then hears the sound of a woman yelling at him, "Look who decided to show back up! So you're the asshole who killed our crew!" He slowly stands up and turns his head towards the source. A woman and a man coming from the treeline, sword and shield in hand. "You'll pay for what you did you sick son of a bitch!" The woman charges at him, sword raised high. The sound of a thunderous crack fills the space as the woman falls limp, her chest ripped open. The mysterious hunter holding a whip made of bones with a slow beating heart wrapped at the end. The man, wide-eyed and shaken, takes off into the treeline. The hunter grabs his dagger and cuts his hand, then throws it into the ground. The sound of the earth ripping apart is then followed by the sound of many growls and snarls. The man looks behind him as he sees these dark creatures chasing after him. He lets out a scream but is cut short by the sound of bones breaking and skin ripping. The hunter puts his glove back on, climbs back on his horse, and follows the wagon trail.
"We are about to cross Hinstenne! Do we need to stop or keep going?" Virren shouts as he is helming the reigns of the wagon. "I could stop for the night, we have been on the road for half the day already." Solaris replies as he stands up and stretches his back. "Let us just stop and leave first thing in the morning." Zonu rubs his eyes as he shuts his book. The party are greeted at the gate by many markets lined up on each side of the road. People screaming for their attention holding up various items as they slowly coast pass all the sellers. The weathered dark wood buildings hold torch lights around the windows and doors as people are moving in and out of them. The words,"Frezlin's Ale Emporium" catches Kaizen's eye. "That place looks decent", he points out as he pushes past Zonu. Virren nods in agreement as he stops the cart and wraps the reigns around the post.
The party push through the wide saloon doors and are greeted by the sound of people laughing and drinks clanking. Virren makes his way across the wide room towards the bar where a half orc man with gray skin is spitting into some cups and cleaning them. "What do you want today?" The raspy voice of the half orc speaks up as the clouded over eye looks at Virren. "Yes, could I have a round of ale for me and my friends?" He replies back with a smile. The half orc fills up four drinks and slides it over to him. "Six silver." The eye glares at him as he holds his hand up. Virren reaches in his pocket and sits down the silver and returns to the group with drinks. The party talks through their plan for travel tomorrow when they are interrupted by the sound of a piano playing.
They look for the source and their glances meet up with everyone else's in the room. A human dressed up in a bright blue shirt and pants, slides his hands across the piano. The sequence of keys speeding up, the patrons clapping along with the beat. The human turns his head towards the crowd, "Ah the sweet sound of music being appreciated!" He says as his hands once again slides down the piano. Solaris spits out his ale, "What the hell?"The rest of the party has the same thought. "I would like to dedicate this song to the piece of shit that could never appreciate beautiful art. I hope you bite the dust you old fucker!" Leo says as he grabs a glass and chucks it at the bartender. The half orc ducks out of the way and then leaps the bar, charging after Leo. "Crazy son of a bitch, I'm not helping him." Zonu says as he opens his book and begins reading.
As Frezlin gets closer, Leo spins around shattering a glass bottle across the half orc's face, knocking him unconscious. Leo's brown eyes dance around the room and settle upon his friends. "Boys, welcome to the party!" Leo yells as he lifts his hands as an invitation. One of the patrons from off stage runs and slams his fist against Leo's face, sending him down the steps. Solaris charges the stage and spears the assailant against the piano. Kaizen runs after Solaris and leaps in the air, kicking another assailant on the side of the face, sending him through the window. Kaizen then spins around and parries a glass someone is holding, then shoving back into their face. A man wraps his arm around Virren's neck from behind and pulls him from the table. He continues to hold him still as a woman strikes Virren across his face twice. Virren kicks the woman away then unlatches his hammer onto the floor. He looks down and kicks the hammer at the woman's face and off the ricochet, pulls the chain and sends it at the man holding him. The man falls back and Virren then winds up and throws the hammer, striking another man on the side of the face as he tries to sneak up on Zonu who does not move his eyes from the book.
As Zonu reads his spell book in his seat, Leo is slammed and pinned against the table. "Do the cold thing please" he says struggling to catch his breath. Zonu sighs and without looking, ice grows from his hand and shoots into Leo's assailant's face. "Thank you, you beautiful bastard." Leo claims as he follows up with a punch to his assailant. Solaris sends a half orc man across Zonu's table as he laughs in excitement. As Zonu looks up, his eyes met with a fist as he is clobbered out of his seat, blood dripping from his nose. The whole tavern is in a crazy riot, people fighting, glasses breaking, and chairs being thrown. Zonu is shoved by another occupant then punched, then kicked, then is pushed out the front window of the establishment.
Zonu dusts off his trench coat, pissed off. "Can't be in a fucking town without fucking getting fucked up. Ash!" Zonu yells as he extends his hand towards Ash. She crawls in his hand and produces a small flame. Zonu begins growing the ball of fire in his hands. Virren looks outside and sees Zonu. "TEMPER TANTRUM!" Virren yells as he goes and tackles Leo behind the bar. Solaris and Kaizen's eyes grow wide as they quickly find Zonu outside. Solaris grabs a table near the back door and uses it as a shield. Kaizen quickly climbs the pillar to the 2nd floor.
"FUCK YOU! SPHAERA FLAMMA!" Zonu screams as he sends the fire spell into the tavern, impacting the floor and creating an explosion. Through the 2nd floor window, Kaizen leaps out, chased by the curling flames. Solaris is launched through the back door, the same flames sprouting out from the door way. The sound of people screaming in pain and agony in the background as Zonu takes a breath, "Do you feel better now?" Virren groans as he emerges from the flame filled room dragging Leo by the ankle outside. "We really need to work on your anger management buddy." Leo says as he plays his lute while being dragged. Solaris and Kaizen meet up with the rest of the group.
Virren reaches down to Leo who has a gash on his neck. "A 'càradh suathadh." Virren mutters as he grasps his holy symbol. His eyes glow with radiant energy as he touches Leo's neck and the wound begins to slowly sew itself back together. "Thank you sir, now why are you guys here? You didn't come here to talk me into coming back, did you?" Leo questions as he continues to play. "Actually, it was chance we found you! We were just passing through to hunt some more bounties." Kaizen replies as he puts his hand on the lute. "Well good, I wasn't gonna come back anyway. I'm making a great name for myself out here!" Leo says as the sign of the tavern snaps off. "We see that, well we wouldn't want to ruin that for you but here's a preview of what we been up to." Solaris states as he throws Leo a bag full of gold coins. Leo looks at them and his eyes grow wild, then they dart back and forth from the group to the coins. "You sons of bitches... I'm in." Leo pockets some of the gold and slings his lute around his shoulder.
As they get back to Leo's hotel, he takes a look at some of the bounties. "I've heard tales in some of the taverns in Zamad that describe the Trelich that's in your bounty stack. Smooth talking bitch that charms people to kill their families and bring them to her as an offering. Fucked up but I've been with worse." Leo explains as he packs his bag. "Great. Can't wait to see you try to fuck this one." Zonu sighs as he thumbs through his component pouch. "Funny, maybe you can entertain her with your tales of getting your ass kicked by every single thing we have fought." Leo snaps back. "You little b-." Zonu is interrupted by Virren. "Alright, alright, we are not even on the road yet and you guys are already at each other's throats." Virren pushes both Zonu and Leo outside and gesture for them to get into the cart. Kaizen takes the reigns as Solaris piles the cart with rations for the trip to Zamad. The sun slowly descends into the bright colors of orange and yellow as the party makes their way out of Hinstenne.