Adventurer's Log

“Okay, lad. I think that’s enough water for ye’.” Said Brimstone, lighting up a big, fat cigar. “Now ye’ jes’ be stallin’.” He then tossed the burnt-out match behind his shoulder, a small, thin stream of smoke rising up from the now burning cigar.

“I agree.” Said Thorn as she removed the open canteen from the bandit’s wet lips. “He nearly drank all of our water too.” Said Thorn as she peered into the canteen with a single eye.

“Look, lad, we dwarves are a pretty patient bunch, but even we have our limits…” Warned Brimstone, crossing his arms. The smoke was now forming a ring around his head and face,making him quite intimidating in appearance.

The thief growled, “So what do you want to know, huh?” Thorn sealed the near empty canteen and placed it beside her.

“First things first, where are you setting camp?”

No answer.

“Well…?” Persisted Thorn.

“Dun’ make us ask again, lad.” Huffed Brimstone.

“Alright, alright already, I’ll tell you!” Snapped the bandit. “To the north of here, deeper into the marsh, passed a large stream, there’s a passage. Beyond that passage, you’ll find others just like me.”

“But we jes’ came that way, lad.” Said Brimstone, a bushy, red, eyebrow raised. “All we found was scummy marsh water.”

“That, and it wouldn’t make much sense for a band of thieves to be setting up camp that far north.” Explained Thorn, gesturing to the north. “Far too close to the very village that wants you all dead.”

“Makes it easier on us.” Growled the cutpurse. “That way, we can make off with as much loot as we want, and not worry about traveling long distances. Otherwise, it’d hinder our escape.”

“But that still doesn’t make sense.” Argued Thorn. “According to the villagers who hired us, the only things that get stolen are gold, food and drink, and MAYBE the occasional woman, if you’re feeling risky. Light stuff. If you lived as close as you claimed, I’d believed you would try and steal more than a bunch of gold and food, and maybe an odd trinket or two.”

Brimstone chuckled. “Aye…I dun’ think we’ll be gettin’ anywhere at this rate.”

The thief clenched his teeth. “Okay, we’ve set up camp to the west of here, beyond a large forest of willows.”

Thorn turned to Brimstone. “Isn’t that where you went hunting yesterday?” She asked.

“Aye.” Confirmed Brimstone, puffing into his cigar. “I saw nothin’ but birds and an’ MAYBE an alligator or two.”

Thorn lowered her head and sighed, pinching her nose between her thumb and index finger, lightly pulling the skin. She then turned to the bandit and grabbed his face as hard as she could, squeezing his cheeks and puckering his lips until it was near impossible to breath. “One last chance. Where are you setting camp?”

He didn’t answer. The thief simply glared at the Dark Elf with hate-filled eyes.

Thorn let go. “I’ve had enough.” She then felt around her waist and opened up yet another pouch. “Why did I know that this was going to happen…?”

“Wot’ is it lass?” Inquired Brimstone, lightly tapping the cigar with his middle finger.

Thorn held up yet another phial, but this phial contained an odd gooey substance not unlike the slime or the scum found around the edges of the swamp’s waters itself. She then popped the cork off of the phial, and stuck two of her finger directly into the phial, mixing the slimy substance.

“What’s that supposed to do?” Spat the captive.

“You’ll see…” Replied Thorn in a sing-song voice as she removed her now slime-tipped fingers.

The thief quickly jerked his head away. “What do you think your doing you stupid bitch?” He barked as Thorn approached his face with her fingers.

Thorn simply sighed and leaned over the thief’s body, placing one hand on his leg.

“Hey! Stop…! What do you think you’re doing?”

Thorn then forcibly smeared the goop onto his forehead, weaving together an odd glyph, the likes of which Brimstone has never seen before as he casually watched the scene unfold before him.

“Another spell, lass?” Asked Brimstone puffing into his cigar.

“Correct," she answered leaning back into position.

“What the hell did you do to me you stupid elf!?” Shouted the thief.

“It’s the “Mind-Manipulation Spell”. If you don’t tell us what we need to know, and NOW, you can kiss your free will goodbye.” Answered Thorn. “All it takes is a single snap of my fingers, and the spell will take effect, and will remain so until I snap them again, or until the glyph gradually fades away on its own.” She smiled wickedly as she held her hand next to his face, her fingers in position for a quick snap.

“You wouldn’t!” Dared the thief.

“You can ask the dwarf next to me.” Said Thorn, gesturing to Brimstone who simply stood there, a burning cigar clenched tightly between his teeth. “You either tell us what we need to know, or I will wipe your mind and I’ll FORCE it out of you.” She inched her hand closer to the bandit’s face, until her two fingers were hovering just below his eyes.

A look of fear swept across his face. “So, I’ll ask ONE MORE TIME. WHERE are you SETTING CAMP.” Repeated Thorn with a wicked grin.

The thief’s gaze was hastily shifting between Thorn and her fingers. He began to squirm uncomfortably in place, his mind buzzing as he tried to come to a quick decision.

Brimstone chuckled as cleared away the ash from his cigar. “Loot at him, lass. He’s all shaken up.”

Thorn sighed.

“Oh well, it’s your choice…” Said Thorn. She then readied herself, and JUST as her index finger began to glide across her thumb…

“OKAY! Okay, I’ll tell. I’ll…Tell you everything you need to know.” Blurted out the thief in a whimpering voice.

“S’bout time.” Said Brimstone. The smoke swirling around his head was slowly starting to thicken, making him look almost monstrous in appearance.

“We set camp farther on down south of here. There will be a road past a small forest of willows. Follow that road until you come across a large pond. Wade through the pond heading east, and eventually you’ll come across a bunch of ancient ruins. Go beyond the ruins and you’ll find a wooden gate. Past that wooden gate is our camp.”

Thorn and Brimstone turned to each other, looking at each other intently before nodding. Thorn then moved her hand away from their captive, much to his relief.

“Ye’ better be right about this lad…”Warned Brimstone. “Cause’ if’n we find out ye’ are jes’ sending us on a wild goose chase-“

Thorn interrupted, “…You’ll be sorry, VERY sorry. I’m a magician, I can do far worse than turning you into a puppet.”

“It won’t matter anyway…” Mumbled the thief.

“An’ why’s that, lad?” Asked Brimstone, dropping the cigar.

“Even if you do make it to the ruins, we have scouts everywhere, watching, waiting, ready to put a bullet or an arrow through your damn skulls.” The bandit smiled triumphantly. “You’re making a grave mistake tangling with us! And even if you DO get past the ruins, the gates won’t open for the likes of YOU.”

Thorn stood up and brushed off her trousers. “I’m sure we’ll be fine, thank you. This isn’t the first time we’ve dealt with your kind.”

“Aye, if we ain’t dealin’ with thieves or highwaymen, we’re fightin’ trolls, orcs, an’ other mangy beasts.” Said Brimstone stomping out the cigar.

“But you haven’t tangled with Jonah Dragontooth.” Grinned the thief.

“Jonah Dragontooth?” Inquired Brimstone.

“Yeah, he’s our leader. The nastiest and the toughest guy in our whole gang. No one, and I mean NO ONE has ever defeated Jonah. And believe me, he’s more than willing to kill one of us if we EVER cross him, and he’ll enjoy killing you you old fart!”

“Watch it! Only I can call him that, got it?” Barked Thorn, placing her hands on her hips.

The bandit chuckled and gawked at Thorn before saying, “Oh, and he’ll REALLY enjoy seeing you. He has something “special” for his female guests, and let me tell you you stupid whore, he’s more than willing to share with the rest of us after he’s thrown your sorry arse out of his tent. Just wait until I can get my hands on you…”

A brief look of disgust came over Thorn’s face before she turned to Brimstone and said, “Well Brim, it looks like we have a journey ahead of us. Might as well get ready.”

“Aye, lass. I’ll go get everythin’ ready.”

“You’re just wasting your time.” Chuckled the thief. “Prolonging the inevitable…”

“Hey, Brim…” Said Thorn.

“Aye?”

“There’s one last thing I forgot to do.”

Brimstone raised a brow. “An’ wot’ would that be, lass?”

Thorn grinned and then raised her hand high, positioning her index finger and thumb.

A look of horror came over the purloiner’s features. “Wait! No! You can’t! You-“

Snap!

***

To prepare themselves for the journey ahead, Thorn and Brimstone spent the next hour or so at camp making sure they had all the preparations needed. Thorn wore a protective leather breastplate over a light, cotton shirt, which was accented with multiple, tight, leather belts worn around her slender waist. These belts served to hold her leather trousers in place, and each belt carried many, small, leather pouches. She also carried a dagger, a slightly worn cutlass, an ammo pouch, and a simple, flintlock pistol. Thrown over her shoulders was a very large leather satchel, which matched her thick, leather, steel-toe boots, one of which came equipped with a small belt containing two small knives.

Brimstone wore assorted pieces of age-worn iron armor over leather clothing, which, in turn, was worn over the pelts of various creatures. He adorned a light, metal, circular plate over his iron breastplate, which had a large spike protruding from the center. Around his waist was a dagger, an axe, and a few pouches of gunpowder for his blunderbuss, which he carried in his right hand. There was a leather sash slung over his left shoulder, which held a few grenados and a small, silver circlet wrapped around his bald head. And finally, he had one leather pouch around his waist, which carried a few cigars.

“Aye, Thorn. I never knew ye’ had it in ye.” Said Brimstone.

“What do you mean Brim?” Inquired Thorn in return, sifting through her satchel one last time. Brimstone pointed a finger at the bandit directly behind them. Their captive was free from his binds and he was simply standing there, not even budging an inch. He was completely motionless, through and through. He simply stood there, his eyes never blinking and always staring off into the distance, his mind gone, his thoughts erased, trapped in a permanent trance. Thorn took notice of Brimstone and quickly glanced at the “puppet” standing behind her. “I was growing weary of his tongue.” Said Thorn with a sigh. “Plus, it was a necessity.”

“A necessity?”

“He might have been telling another lie. This way, he will always do EXACTLY as I command him, meaning, if I ask him to take us to his camp, he’ll lead us there.”

“How can ye’ be so sure, lass?”

“As a “puppet”, or, a “mind slave”, he’s compelled to do WHATEVER I tell him to do. He can’t lie or back stab me, because I am now his master, or, rather, mistress. He MUST do as I say, and as a “mind slave”, he will always do as I command PERFECTLY. Get it?”

“Aye, I think so…” Mumbled Brimstone as he stroked his beard.

“If I didn’t use the spell, he might’ve been telling us another lie. He claims what he said was truth, and, who knows, he might’ve been right. But, one can never be TOO careful when dealing with brigands. WE of all people should know that, right, Brim?”

Brimstone nodded. “I suppose so.”

“Well, Brim, you ole’ fart, are you ready?” Asked Thorn with a playful grin, closing her satchel.

“Aye lass, let’s get this over an’ done with, shall we?” Said Brimstone with a hearty grin, giving Thorn a hearty slap on the back.

Thorn returned the smile and then approached the mindless captive, arms crossed. “Listen and listen well. I want you to take me and Brimstone to where you once had camped here in the swamp, understood?” Thorn ordered.

The thief nodded. “Yes, my liege. Your wish…Is my command. I live…To serve you…Your excellency.”