Chapter 3
"A Fly on the Windscreen"
page 12 - 'A Tested Story, A Story Tested'

The victorious hunters came back into the Crimson Knights camp dragging the troll's body along behind them. Cade still riding on its back making sure that it didn't wake up anytime soon. Kevrin was very thankful to everyone and expressed his gratitude by giving everyone sacks with fifty gold in it. Since the party was able to keep the troll down Kevrin asked them for one last favor, since they were already traveling north, he asked them to accompany some of his soldiers who were going to be transporting the troll and the wyvern along with some other creatures up to Brandywine, to be used for alchemedic parts.

They left minus Celine who stayed with the knights leaving behind her holy symbol of Heimdall, since the knights didn't allow such worshipping in their ranks. The trip was uneventful and Allysia and Myr followed the carts with the creatures to the Crimson Knight's Alchemidic shop on the far east side of town. Cade and Enutrof went into town to find themselves an inn, just after Enutrof made sure to get a smith to fix his broken shortsword. They found a nice inn and they also found someone who they haven't seen in a long while, Dio Elaclaire, who was at that time on top of a table retelling the story of how the party and he fought the Orcs (see: pages 1-3). Cade thought it best to get Dio off of the table since he was acting very strange, like he was very drunk, also it was better that Dio didn't talk about the party like that, which Cade told him. Dio bought some more rounds for the bar after downing a dozen shots of the special brew of Brandywine.

Being weary of the many soldiers guarding the alchemists' shop and the fact that they weren't allowed inside the party decided to keep a look out on the building just in case anything strange was going on. While watching during the day they saw a white cloaked figure leave the building to go to the town's well. Even though Allysia was watching as best as she could she was unable to tell if the figure was just getting a drink or doing something to the water. The party's recent observations and dealings with some strange people had lead them to be very suspicious of people's nature, so they kept watch on the building long into the night.

Once again, late at night, a cloaked figure left the building but this time the figure was being very suspicous by darting quickly into an ally, Cade followed while Allysia continued to keep an eye on the building. Cade was able to follow the figure further into town to a small garden surrounding a large oak tree. Cade silently approached and suprising the figure when he said excuse me only a few feet behind her. She turned her head finally revealing her face, and her half-elven heiritage. "Please don't hurt me", she pleaded as she covered her face and retreated back to the tree. Cade, on his best behavior, was able to calm her down enough to find out that she was Violet a Alchemist for the Crimson Knights, "an Alchemist and not of magician," was something that she stressed. Being very jumpy she quickly darted off back towards the saftey of the Alchemists' shop. However, as Cade soon found out, she encountered some locals who were not too friendly with people who were able to cast magic, and even though Violet couldn't they were taking it out on her. She was able to break one of the guys arms with her mace then she ran, right past Cade's hiding spot, so he was able to suprise the would-be attackers with a ghost sound of incoming soldiers and a few bolts to wound them, they then ran off. Violet was very thankful and accepted a walk with Cade back to the shop. She told him that the soldiers were very nice to her and protected the alchemists that they employ from uncultured people like they just encountered, she also confirmed that they were tapping the troll to make some healing potions.

The next day after they were comming back from shopping they were suprised to see a Crimson Knight pointing them out to a very tall and burly man, who was very friendly. He offered them some beers and introduced himself as Shageon Dragonsbane, the protector of this town. The Soldier told Shageon that the party were the ones who helped out Croc's Crossing and because of that he would like their help. He told the party of a group of lizardfolk who formed raiding parties and would attack and kill peasants then retreat back into the Black Swamp. "I would like your help because I want to see your abilities and also to find out what happened down in Croc's Crossing." He told them that he would tell them more about that later, it seemed that they were being tested.

A day and a half later they entered the Black Swamp and not long after they were attacked by a patrol of the lizardfolk which they were able to take down. Keeping their magic a secret from Shageon as best as they could, just in case, they continued deeper into the swamp where they found the cabin that they were looking for. It was there in the middle of the water with only a long dock like bridge leading to it. They found all of the lights off and no life inside of the building and entered it. Enutrof was standing watch outside not long before he saw some lizardfolk jumping out of the water onto the dock far off. Unfortunitally a few had also come up near the cabin and saw the party inside. Shageon's Axe was almost albe to take out each of the lizardfolk with only one chop while everyone else were doing what they could. Fifteen attackers came into the cabin as Enutrof was shooting down a few of the incomming ones. With heavy damage to the whole party, including Shageon, they were able to take down all of the ones inside but were unable to get a second breath before Enutrof told them another twenty were comming. Cade and Myr used a window to shoot through while everyone else used to front door as a bottle neck point. With some quick thinking the party came out victorious.

Shageon soon found a few trunks filled with all of the treasure that the lizardfolk stole from the people they attacked and killed. Cade was very excited and wanted to spilt up the coins and keep them. However, Shageon made a speach about how since they put their life on the line they were due to be payed even though these coins had blood on them. Myr steped forward saying that they did it because it was more of a right thing to do and you don't do something like for treasure. Shageon smiled, liking the answer that he heard, he told the party that he was going to return the coins back to the citizens of Brandywine, but a platemail that was also part of the spoils would be hard to give off. So he gave the mail as a present to the party for their diligent effort.

Later they were having a drink with Shageon as he was explaining the real reason that he wasted them to come along. He wanted to make sure that they were not the ones who were responsible for what happened and found out that they were victims who were just trying to do what they thought best. "Because you helped us out and because you weren't the cause but the solution to our problem my boss wanted to have a talk with you. He's in Port Drake right now and he would like to have you over for a meal and a conversation. His name is Vichorn".

. . . . . after a few seconds of silence Myr stated, "Who's that?"