Aporeu chronicles Issue 73: Missing person: The Mages Courier
Stories from the adventurers
This week
An apple demon? Really? these adventures are getting weirder and weirder.
Missing person: The Mages Courier by Mengü
(Editor's note: This story is not for the faint hearted as it involves gruesome scenes and the death of many, young and old alike. If you read any further we, the Chronicles, will not in any way or form be held responsible for the possible damage caused to the mental health of you, the reader. The reader shall be held solely responsible for the aforementioned affliction as it is the reader's choice to proceed from hereon.) As I write this tale with a broken heart I try to seek solace with my lord Hoar as I clutch my holy symbol. Fionna! May your life in the beyond be filled with glory just as you sought it within this mortal world. May you slay dragons for as long as your heart desires. And please Hoar give me enough power and strength to seek justice for Fionna and toll the bells of judgement when the deed is done! I will not rest until I get to the root of this! This was already my third mission now, I thought I had gotten used to it, but I was wrong. This time I was accompanied by GnArt, Bob, Rhodax, Iain and Fionna. I was only familiar with Rhodax and GnArt. GnArt being a very intelligent but then again not so intelligent gnome made me worry a little bit, but I gathered he was competent enough. Rhodax was a very dependable cleric, this I knew. I hoped that the rest was as reliable or at least as capable as these two but when I met them my hopes were utterly destroyed. Bob was a very daft and apparently dangerous ally to have. Iain, I’m still not sure if he knows what exactly happened that day. Did he ever stop reading his book and look up? And last but not least Fionna, a very energetic and enthusiastic girl. We went to a tavern to meet up with our contact called Dresst. He seemed quite shallow with his words, I liked it. Strictly business. My companions deemed this to be a party of some sorts as they ordered drinks. At least Dresst understood me as he looked at me with a pitiful gaze while my companions kept bickering about unnecessary and unrelated things. Finally after having concluded our arduous talks we got more information about our mission. We needed to find a halfling by the name of Tomithy Chub. He seemed to be carrying a very important artifact. As we asked the priority here, Dresst informed us that the artifact was number one and Tomithy second. Good to know. We arrived at the gate and each of us received a trinket to safely pass through. I went after Bob. This time it was different than the first time I passed through the gate. My head felt like it was splitting apart and my nose started to bleed. As I recovered from the headaches I spat out lumps of blood which filled my throat and mouth. How fascinating, I wonder why it was different. Moving on we met up with a tinkerer called Tulli. He seemed like a weird fellow, reminded me of GnArt a little bit. Nevertheless we made our way west towards a hamlet called Mela after Dresst gave us several instructions on how to get there. I began to wonder if this mission was ordered by the guild to cull their “lesser” adventurers but Dresst reassured me and send us on our way while giving me another gaze filled with pity. At least Rhodax was there with me, I thought. When we arrived at Mela the people appeared to be celebrating. Music could be heard throughout the hamlet and some fancy colored explosives were going off in the sky. But when they saw us they all became a bit scared, as if they feared strangers. We assured them that we meant no harm so a chubby man stepped forward and soothed the situation. He introduced himself as Randolf Rednose, the mayor of this town. All of my companions went to enjoy themselves as they began to eat and drink. I however did not allow myself to enjoy the festivities as we were on a mission. I would allow myself to enjoy it after the we were done. GnArt did something interesting as he purified all his food and drinks. At that point I scoffed at him, but now I realize his intelligence is beyond my understanding. I was getting strange looks and heard whispers about me being a lady who prefers pears. This town apparently was crazy about apples. While I was trying to inform about Tomithy someone finally remembered him and casually gave me a drink. How despicable to approach a lady of faith with such foolish temptations while she is on a mission. As I said, first comes the job, then comes time for rewards and celebrations. When I sneakily tried to empty the mug of apple cider I accidentally dumped it on someone else, then they both decided to question me about my priorities on apples. I had had it with this foolery!I smashed the mug on the other guy’s head and grabbed the first one by his collar and demanded information about Tomithy. He murmured something about him entering an inn but then suddenly disappearing and that the mayor knew more. So I made my way to the table and noticed my companions all knocked out. I saw the previous happy go lucky mayor now pointing his finger at me and murmur “Get her...”. I immediately grabbed my javelin and threw it with all my might, but with all the commotion and shock I hit someone behind him right through his chest. Most certainly dead. The chubby pig then grabbed a child and slit his throat while he made his presence disappear into the masses as five of his henchmen ganged up on me. At this point I was enraged, by Hoar I would fell this twisted halfling! With the strength of Hoar I managed to fend his henchmen off as GnArt finally joined me. One by one we slayed his followers, divine judgement, nay, my personal judgement! I wanted to awaken Rhodax but thought it wiser to awaken Fionna first as she would be more skilled in tracking that fucking pig. I swore to kill him and eradicate his whole lineage afterwards!
Finally having found the pig in between the masses we managed to corner him. As he fell down on his back I swung my glaive, which I received from my beloved, downwards towards the mayor’s neck who was murmuring something. I had instilled my precious with divine power which my lord granted me and in one fell swoop I neatly severed his head from his chubby body. Punishment had been dealt, or so I thought, so I rang my bells. Bob, now awakened, found another henchmen completing some sort of circle for a ritual and incinerated him but he was just a second too late as it was already activated. It summoned some sort of apple shaped demon which was intent on butchering anything and everything it came across. While we were fighting this monstrosity several spirits of fire resembling small and chubby bears coalesced beside the demon and aided him. It was a difficult fight. I was weak and went down but Rhodax, the tall dragonborn, saved me. Then Bob went down and Fionna also slumped over. I felt so powerless. We could not save Fionna as she was entangled in acidic mucus from the apple demon. We were just barely hanging onto our own lives and could only watch as the acid slowly ate away at her flesh and tore her lower body off. The light of life slowly left her face but that smile on her face never went away. It felt as if she was continuing her fight from the beyond. I saw Bob and Iain run away and in shame I followed behind. Then Rhodax went down! GnArt was kiting the demon and the fire spirits were distracted as they decided to head towards a crying child. This was my chance, I would not run away even if it meant my own death. I sprinted back and instilled life back into the unconscious Rhodax with the holy power bestowed upon me by Hoar. I would not leave another companion behind, over my dead body! We recuperated and eventually managed to kill the fire bears and followed the trail left by the apple demon and GnArt. Eventually finding him alive and well. He had managed to slay the vile creature with the aid of his steed. What a magnificent construct, what a magnificent strategic intellect! I was so happy to see him alive. We found the mentioned artifact on the mayor’s dead body and GnArt kept it with him for safekeeping.
When we gazed upon the remainder of the hamlet we saw countless broken bodies and torn off limbs. The eyes of which previously were filled with life and joy, now all had a distinct dull glaze over them. They were staring at us with a stern gaze, judging us for our incompetence. Their blood was splattered everywhere and almost all of the buildings and houses were destroyed. By Hoar it was horrible. These people who were celebrating mere hours ago now all lay dead and broken. Why would anyone do this? Why would anyone want this? Did our result do this? I will not forgive myself, not before getting to the root of this and bringing all of those involved to justice.
We recovered Fionna’s body and I cleaned her up as much as I could. It was a miracle that we found three survivors. All that remained from that bustling and vibrant hamlet was a woman and two children. We managed to calm them down and send them towards a place nearby called Pela after making sure that it was safe. Lastly, I informed about the family of the mayor. I vowed to slay every one of Randolf Rednose’s kin! But apparently he did not have any as we looked into his mansion. Then a somewhat tired and messed up Dresst showed up and we had a nice talk. He seemed to not know about the mayor. But we were suspicious about the artifact and the master he worked for, so for now we kept it and with our hearts filled with shame we returned to the guild one woman less, one hero less. Do not forget the brave and mighty Fionna, for her sacrifice saved all of us!
Signed ~ Aşina Mengü, devout follower of Hoar, the Poet of Justice.
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