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00:00:00
(suspenseful music) The Thieves Guild
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by Jake Kerr.
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Episode 96:
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Down the Path.
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Maylor gave Dala a huge hug, and the two danced around after
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Dala explained the plan. They went outside to test it.
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Maylor held up her bare arm.
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So if we pretend this is invisible, what happens if you throw flour at it?
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Dala did so, and the thin film of white on Maylor's arm was a
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convincing demonstration.
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See? If your arm was invisible and all we could see was the flour, it would outline your
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arm, showing its shape.
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Maylor nodded while she slapped her arm, removing the powder.
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But what if everything that touches the guardian becomes invisible?
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It is a risk, but think of the blood on your knife.
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That was inside the guardian, and yet it was visible.
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I'm guessing that there is some kind of spell or element to this thing that makes it invisible, and things
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that aren't it, visible.
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So,
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the flour will work.
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That would explain why it didn't have a weapon, only its fists, mighty as they
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were. Anyway, we don't have any other option.
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"That's not true. We could stay,"
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Dala replied, which elicited a glare from Maylor.
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Flashing a smile in return, Dala added. "You know I'm kidding.
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I love it here with you, but we are warriors and thieves.
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We have responsibilities, and there is so much of your world that I want to see."
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Dala's sincere enthusiasm was infectious, and the
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two of them went on a tangential discussion of their favorite parts of Ness
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that they missed the most. As night fell, Dala blurted out...
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"We should try to escape tomorrow."
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It wasn't that Maylor wasn't prepared or didn't want to try, but the
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suddenness of Dala's pronouncement threw her off-balance.
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"Yes, I think that's a good idea," Maylor replied.
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But her words came out awkward, and she felt like she wasn't showing enough excitement.
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Reaching over, she took Dala's hands in hers.
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"Not try to escape, escape."
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The next morning, they prepared for the difficult combination of being
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encumbered for a long journey and nimble for a sudden fight.
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They also had to prepare to launch a large amount of flour at an opponent
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that they couldn't see and may come upon them at any moment.
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As they started along the lane, Maylor noted...
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"You know we are going to get attacked before we have a chance of tossing the flour."
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Dala shook her head.
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"No. When we get close to where you feel the guardian is, we'll go step by step.
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Didn't you say that you could see the depression of its steps?"
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"Yes. But that was when I had already been struck, and it was attacking me."
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"This is a new sensation," Dala replied after a
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short silence.
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"What do you mean?"
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"I'm the one pushing us forward with a vision of success, and you're the one
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questioning whether we have a chance."
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The comment was sharp, and perhaps a little hurtful, but Maylor
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realized it was accurate. She stopped, and Dala turned to look at her.
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"You're right. I guess I'm still a little nervous about it.
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I'm very used to managing all the various things that could go wrong.
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That's my specialty, knowing all the possibilities and assessing a solution.
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But an invisible guardian?
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How can I assess that? I don't even know what it looks like."
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Dala touched Maylor's arm. "Well, you're thinking of one big possibility.
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What about the details? You escaped the guardian. How did you do that?
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What did you see? What did you feel or smell?
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There has to be something."
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Maylor took a deep breath and closed her eyes.
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"You're right. I haven't thought of the pieces."
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After a long moment of silence, Maylor opened her eyes.
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"Have something?"
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Nodding, Maylor began.
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"It is large and heavy. I could tell when it struck me.
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Now, look at the path."
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They both looked down.
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"This hasn't been traveled since we were dropped off.
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The grass looks like it doesn't grow high, which makes it look well-manicured, but look there and there."
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Maylor pointed at strips of dirt and a small bush that was growing at the edge of
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the lane, but amongst the grass.
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"This is not a maintained lane. It is a wild path that was
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created with grass that makes it remain clear and even."
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"Yes, I can see that."
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"So, the guardian is large and heavy, and is patrolling a lane of wild grass.
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That is the key. If we keep an eye out for grass that is depressed, or a line of worn grass where
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someone or something may have walked in a regular pattern, it will indicate the presence of the guardian."
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"Of course. We should be able to identify a change in the
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nature of the path when we reach the guardian."
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"When I first escaped the guardian, what saved me was seeing the grass
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depressed without anything stepping upon it.
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If we look for something like that as we approach, we should be able to prepare for the guardian before it
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attacks us."
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Dala turned back up the lane. "So sharp observation is critical."
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Maylor nodded, and the two of them moved forward slowly, examining the
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path in the distance with each step. Maylor noticed it first.
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Grabbing Dala's arm, she stopped her and whispered.
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"There."
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She pointed down the lane to the edge of the path.
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"I don't see anything different about the path."
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"It's not the path. Look at the brush on the side of the path."
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Maylor saw it clearly, a gap in the brush that wasn't at all natural.
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It was bent over and crushed in a spot a few feet wide.
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Daala was squinting, but then her eyes went wide.
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"I see it."
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Maylor pulled out her ax while Daala didn't need to be asked, and pulled out a
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large, thin sack, which was bulging at weakly sewn seams,
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leaking a white powder. With her good eye for hurling knives, the thought was
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that she would be the better choice at hurling the flour.
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"Keep an eye on the grass. I'll shout if I see anything, and you do the same.
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The moment you have an idea of its location, throw the flour at it."
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Daala nodded.
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They crept forward, staring at the grass.
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The good news was that the grass was high and not beaten down at all.
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If the guardian approached, they would have some warning.
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Maylor glanced at the gap in the brush, as it continued to make her nervous,
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when Daala's bag of flour flew through the air while Daala yelled out...
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"There it is."
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Maylor crouched and followed Daala's pointed finger.
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Rushing toward them was something flattening grass as it approached.
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To Maylor's horror, Daala's bag of flour landed on the ground,
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exploding into a puff of white smoke.
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A moment later, Daala was tossed clear across the path to Maylor's right,
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as if a giant had simply pushed her aside. She crumpled to the ground.
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Maylor wasted little time. She could see where the guardian was by the depression
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on the grass. Spinning and approaching low, she swung her ax.
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It hit home in an arcing gash, which resulted in a piercing howl
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and an invisible blow, knocking Maylor back a few feet, staggering
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her to her knees.
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Looking at the ground, she noticed two things:
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the footsteps of the guardian approaching slowly but inexorably, and the red
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drops of blood that fell next to the depressions in the grass.
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Using surprise as her weapon, Maylor leapt forward, swinging her ax again.
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It was for naught, as she couldn't see her opponent, who must have easily
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twisted out of the way.
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Maylor's ax swung through air, leaving her slightly off-balance.
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Another mighty blow knocked Maylor to the left side of the path.
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Her off-balance momentum had saved her, however, for her body was already moving in
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the direction of the blow. And while it was powerful, her body absorbed it
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by simply flinging her further.
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Maylor had been thrown so far that she had time to stand, and as she
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did, she once again focused on the grass.
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She saw a footstep and swung the ax with all her force.
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It missed the guardian completely and knocked her off-balance
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again.
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A glancing blow knocked her to the ground.
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Spinning to her feet, Maylor tried to desperately figure out how she could battle an
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invisible opponent. Once again it approached with the slow certainty of
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death.
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Looking for the next footstep, her vision was suddenly filled with an
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explosion of white.
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Not five feet in front of her, surrounded by a spreading corona of white
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powder, was a giant being, its torso defined by a
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white outline. Without any hesitation, Maylor stepped forward and swung
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with all her might, right at the center of the thing's chest.
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With a soft thunk, her ax hit home, embedding itself in the creature's
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torso. Another, smaller explosion of white spread from behind the
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guardian, and Maylor could see it clearly.
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As she attempted to wrench the ax free, she heard a thunk, thunk, thunk,
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one after another. She knew that sound.
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Maylor retreated, not knowing what would happen.
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Was the creature magical and able to shrug off such a deadly attack?
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Would it launch a desperate, dying counterattack?
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Crouching in preparation for the worst, Maylor watched as the powdery
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white guardian stumbled a bit to the left, then to the right,
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and then fell to its knees, and then face down into the path.
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Behind it was Daala, her face and chest bloody and her
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hands and body covered in flour. Maylor ran to her.
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"Are you okay? Are you injured?" "I think my nose is broken,"
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Daala replied, covering it with her hand.
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"Let me see,"
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Maylor replied, taking Daala's hand and kissing it as she moved it aside.
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"If it's broken, it isn't bad. You should be okay.
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Are you bleeding into your throat?"
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"No, just what you see."
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Daala looked behind Maylor.
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"You killed it."
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She squeezed Maylor's hand, as Maylor had not let go. "I wounded it.
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You killed it."
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"Well, we killed it, and it wouldn't have been so difficult if I hadn't missed.
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The good thing is that it ignored me after it knocked me to the ground and broke my nose.
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So while you were fighting it, I gathered up the flour in the ripped bag and was able to carry enough to make a
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difference, I guess."
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"You made all the difference."
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Daala looked at Maylor. "Are you okay?"
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"A little bruised, but nothing bad."
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Turning around, Maylor looked at the outline on the ground.
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"What do you think it is?"
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"A giant, a large man, a forest creature?
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I don't know."
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Nodding, Maylor said... "It wasn't a giant or human. Look at its hands.
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Those are huge and seem like clubs more than hands.
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Maybe it is a being created by the wizards."
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Daala shrugged.
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"We can ask Travil."
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"He'll be so surprised to see us, he just might answer.
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So what next?"
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"We need to get back to the tunnel, but we'll need to find it, get supplies, and do it all in
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secrecy."
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Daala started slapping her clothes, billowing out flour.
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Maylor took a step back.
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"I don't want to travel through that tunnel without food, water, and a cart full of torches."
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"Well, now that we know a cart is a workable solution, that will make things
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easier. So, we'll need supplies, but I also think we should see whatever we can find
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out.
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I have a feeling that the wizards weren't telling us everything."
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Me too.
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So let's continue down the path, make up a story of being lost and attacked by brigands or something,
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and then see if we can pick up information about this city while we gather supplies."
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"You make it sound easy."
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Daala shrugged. "Won't they treat us like escaped prisoners?"
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"Sure, but can dealing with that be much harder than defeating an invisible giant
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guardian?"
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Maylor laughed, and the two started walking down the path that led home.
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But how long that journey would take, neither of them knew.
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(dramatic music)