The town that stood before Fellaroth and the others was a fast-growing town of stone and wood, that was still yet to get big enough to earn a name. despite being a nameless town on the outskirts of nothingness, the local people still had the desire to grow their little hamlet into something that might one day rival the great metropolises. A boundary wall of stone was being constructed around the town, leaving only two points of entry and exit, with official-looking guards posted at each.
"What business do you have in our city, Friends?" asked a guard as the adventurers approached.
"We're looking to offer our services as guards to any caravan that's headed toward Cruwshant." Answered Riegert.
"And I suppose you'd be wanting free transit in return?"
"It would make for a fair bargain. The protection of a D-ranked party in exchange for passage to Cruwshant. I don't think a better deal will be walking into this town any time soon."
"A bargain you say? Sounds more like extortion to me! Why don't we just…"
"Dorigg! What in the world are you doing? Do these people look like non-humans to you?" yelled another guard approaching from within the town. "I'm sorry for Dorigg you lot, his basket's half empty, if you know what I mean! Please, go right on in, I hope you find what it is you're looking for in our town!" he added, berating Dorigg as the adventurers continued down the road.
"This town isn't quite big enough to warrant its own Adventurer's Guild yet, so if we are going to find someone to offer our…"
"Oi, you lot!" yelled an old lady from across the street.
"What's with these people and interrupting?" asked Riegert under his breath as he turned to face the woman.
"You lot adventurers, are you? Looking to earn some extra coin? Why not escort an ageing merchant and her goods to The Cruwshant region? Pay's decent, I can promise you that!"
"What is this, divine intervention, or just blind luck? Either way, it's not an opportunity that we can afford to pass on." Said Calvin before smiling broadly and approaching the woman. "Good afternoon, Madam, we would be glad to offer you our services, but we don't expect to get paid for it, we are already…"
"Don't want to be paid? Why, you plan on robbing me before we reach the other side?"
"No Madam, nothing of the sort, we're just already…"
"Well then, you ought to get paid for your work, no?"
"It's not about getting paid Ma'am, you see, we're…"
"Two silvers!"
"Please Ma'am, if you'd just let me…"
"Fine then. Four silvers. And I won't go a cent higher, you hear!"
"Calvin, you're not going to win this one." Said Fellaroth, resting a hand on Calvin's shoulder. "We accept. When do you want to head out?"
"As soon as all of these goods have been loaded onto this wagon!" she said, stretching her back and looking at the pile of boxes that had yet to be loaded. "What you lot doing standing around? You want to get paid, don't you? Then best get this wagon loaded!" she added, causing the adventurers to spring into action and start loading boxes.
"How exactly did we end up as day labourers?" asked Jackson as quietly as he could.
"It's not so bad Jackson, all we need to do is pack this wagon and we get our passage to Cruwshant just like we wanted, and with the added bonus of being paid a whole four silvers for it too!" said Riegert. The group had quickly organised themselves into two groups, Jackson and Riegert were on the ground and passed boxes up to Calvin and Fellaroth, who were on the wagon, packing the boxes neatly.
The wagon was scarcely packed with its passengers seated before the old lady struck the reigns and got them moving. "Good riddance to this garbage town, hope the next one ain't so backwards!" she proclaimed loudly as the wagon passed through the checkpoint at speed.
"Someone please tell me we didn't just help this batty old lady steal all this stuff!" yelled Jackson as the wagon barrelled down the unpaved road.
"It's all my stuff sonny, you lot got nothing to worry about. I've just been itching to get away from that lot of religious kooks! Can't take their kind. Might head South after I offload some of my goods at the market in Cruwshant. Heard tell people there might appreciate my wares!"
"And what exactly are your wares Ma'am, what might I ask do you do?" asked Calvin, inspecting the boxes as they bounced around in the back of the still speeding wagon.
"I'm just an apothecary, I make all them medicines and what nots. I make some of the best potions you lot will ever find, mind you!"
"Please Madam, you can slow down, I can assure you that no one is following us!" yelled Riegert, being thrown from one side of the wagon to the other.
"I ain't speeding cause I'm worried about being followed, I'm speeding cause I want to make it to the safe zone before dark!"
"What safe zone? I wasn't aware that the North had gotten so dangerous that it needed safe zones!"
"It's more like a safe zone for me! Need to put some distance between me and that church of nutters!"
"You're in the North Lady, you won't escape that 'church of nutters' no matter how much distance you put between us and that town.
The old woman continued to drive the horses hard for a few more kilometres before finally letting up and allowing them to slow to a normal pace. With the wagon now moving at a more reasonable pace, the adventurers were finally able to settle and find comfortable places to sit, either on top of, between or behind the boxes that had by now shifted and were haphazardly strewn about. Calvin heard the soft clinking of bottles within a box that was level with his head, while Jackson caught the faintest whiff of the herbs that had been packed into the box that was level with his. Riegert had settled at the back of the wagon and was peacefully enjoying watching the world slowly pass by, while Fellaroth had found a seat near the front and was doing the same.
The next few days passed quietly with the travellers saying little more to each other than was needed to help pass the time. The old woman had asked nothing of the adventurers, and they had asked nothing of her. This journey had well and truly become no more than a means to an end for both parties, as they quietly watched the mountain and their destination slowly draw closer. As the sun started to set on the fifth day, the old lady turned the wagon away from the path, just as she had done every other night, and drove until their camp for the night would not be noticeable to those who continued to travel by night.
Riegert started a fire, Jackson and Calvin pitched tents, and Fellaroth and the old woman prepped their meal. As always, Calvin, Jackson, Riegert and Fellaroth ate their meals together, discussing what they thought they might run into on Cruwshant Mountain, or what might be behind the disappearances of the locals. As per usual, the old lady refused their invitations to join them and instead chose to eat her meal alone and away from the others.
The world quickly grew dark on this night, with the three moons each in varying phases scattered across the sky, and no more than the sounds of insects to disrupt the quiet of the night. The others had turned in after Fellaroth had offered to stand the first watch, leaving him sitting alone at the fire with the old woman.
"You always were a talented apothecary, Magnatheena." Said Fellaroth, breaking the silence at last.
"I thought I'd told you never to call me that Fellaroth, my name's Maggie!" said the old woman, who now in the light of the largest moon looked like a stunning young woman of no older than thirty, wearing an olive-green dress that perfectly complemented both her figure and her brown complexion. She had an hourglass figure that turned the heads of men and woman alike, with her alluring soft brown eyes and long black hair, this woman had turned from a withered crone into a sumptuous beauty in an instant, and Fellaroth had scarcely reacted. "How did we get ourselves into this, Fell?"
"We let our divinity go to our heads Maggie. We were supposed to guide our people when they needed us and watch over them to ensure that they were safe. If we had been doing our jobs, we would have seen this new religion coming and could have done something about it. We deserve this punishment Maggie, and our people deserved better Gods."
"A simple apothecary gets elevated to divinity and is called The Goddess of Health and Beauty, how was I not supposed to let that go to my head?"
"I don't know Maggie, I was The Golden Emperor, and suddenly rose to become The God of Prosperity and Good Fortune, I fell just as far and as hard as you did."
"Yes well, we're here now and our people need our help and guidance, now more than ever!"
"What have you found out?"
"This Xechegan religion is evil Fell! I've been inside one of their churches, and the humans are worshipping demons Fell, actual demons!"
"You mean like the stories we used to tell children to make them behave?"
"Yes, only these ones are real Fell! And they can wield very real power, power that seems to be getting stronger as the faith grows."
"What else could you learn?"
"As it turns out, this 'God' will grant any request; wealth, power, influence, nothing seems to be beyond his reach, provided you have the ability or resolve to pay his price! Word has it, the bishop gained his position and favour in return for the life of his first-born son."
"It's no wonder the humans have fallen so far, they always did look for the easiest means of achieving their goals. What of the other Gods, have you heard anything of them?"
"They all seem to be focused on putting their own affairs in order, none of them seem to be paying much mind to the humans for now."
"Perhaps they saw that their own houses were not as clean as they thought. Either way, it gives us some breathing room."
"Do you have a plan for dealing with these demons?"
"Not yet, I don't have enough information just yet. I'm going to keep travelling with these humans for now, hopefully, I will be able to learn more about the demons in time."
"It looks like you're living a normal life again Fell, already made some friends, and have a goal set for yourself. It's like you're a mortal all over again."
"I don't believe my first life was ever all that normal to begin with Maggie. Between my sister and I, we were never not being watched by someone. This time around I can fly by unnoticed by everyone and just live!"
"Just don't get carried away and forget that we have a job to do here Fell."
"I won't Maggie, saving the humans from this path of destruction is my first priority!"
"Save the lies for the other Gods Fell, I know you too well. Just promise me that when the time comes, you will do what needs to be done!"
"I promise Maggie!"