Arcane Journey

Chapter 252 News from Shisaiah
Bryan came to the Temple of Knowledge in Mashanbai through the teleportation circle.

For three consecutive days, he got up at dawn and traveled all the way through forests, orchards and farmland in Heping Town, through small villages, crowded towns, and well-built manors, and drove until late at night.

On the avenue leading to Masambo, the crowds are also getting more and more turbulent.

No matter the day or night, people appeared continuously, old and young, big and young, barefoot girls, and women with babies in their arms.

Some drove wagons, or jolted along on carts drawn by oxen, but many more rode animals: plow horses, colts, mules or donkeys, as long as they could walk, run and roll.

There was even a lame, middle-aged man who might have been a half ranger or druid in his youth, leading a she-wolf so old that she had lost all her teeth, and set his young daughter on its back.

Brian also saw a mountain dwarven blacksmith pushing a wheeled cart loaded with his snare tools: hammer, tongs, even an anvil.

Not long after, he saw another person pushing a wheelbarrow passing by, but lying inside were two little babies wrapped in blankets.

Most were on foot, carrying their belongings on their shoulders, with tired and wary looks on their faces.

They were all heading south, in the direction of Masampe.

The 'City of Spices', Masambai, is located along the coast of Dragon Lake. It is the second largest trading export city in the Kingdom of Cormyr, and it is also the only port city that has not suffered from the scourge of dragons and orcs.

All the fleeing civilians were heading south, and Brian could hardly find a single traveler who was traveling with him.

On the contrary, there was an elderly man who fled holding a baby who was no longer breathing, and staggered towards the north like a walking corpse, muttering to himself: Although there is a way to live ahead...but...I have no way to live...now I'm the only one left, so let me die closer to home.

These fleeing travelers carried more or less weapons, daggers, short swords, sickles, or axes.

Some people cut the branches into sticks or made them into thick walking sticks, and Brian occasionally saw adventurers with sharp swords and long knives mixed in with the crowd.

When he passed by on his steed black horse, these adventurers would often touch the weapon and keep their eyes on him for a long time.

"I'm looking for a young girl."

Brian drove up to a shrewd adventurer and asked, "Long brown-red hair, silver-gray eyes, her name is Sisaiah, have you seen her?"

"I haven't seen her, sir." The adventurer said warily, "but I'll keep an eye out for you."

Bryan sighed in disappointment and continued to follow the fleeing crowd northward.

He started from the Temple of Knowledge in Mashanbai and walked north along the road for three days.

During this period, he asked countless fleeing people, but he had never met the blacksmith, the priest of the village temple, or the farmer in the vegetable garden.

It made him wonder if something had gone wrong.

He slowed down his horse, calmed down, and recalled what the female lord Myrcella told him before leaving.

Hysia Natalia Obaiszil.

In fact, Brian has doubted Hisaiah's true identity since returning to the surface.

After getting Myrcella's own confirmation, he finally confirmed what he thought in his heart. Hesaiah was indeed the youngest child of King Azen V of Cormyr.

Ten years ago, during the Red Dragon Rebellion in Mokou Town, her mother and her sister who was three years older than her all died in the flames of the dragon.

Hesaiah, who was only eight years old at the time, was also not spared, but was discovered by the old swordsman Baleris in time and rescued her from the flames.

"Poor child, seeing her burned beyond recognition, I thought for a while that she would never survive." Myrcella recalled:
"But I didn't give up hope of saving her. I took her to the Fairy Wilderness, and with the help of an Eladrin, I saved her fragile life. From then on, I also changed her name from Natalia to Hesaiah."

Brian didn't ask why Myrcella changed her name, nor did she ask why Hesaiah was saved, but she didn't send it to the king, that is, his father, so that the world thought that the two princesses of the king died Yu Longyan.

Myrcella told him that three years ago, under her persuasion, Hesaiah returned to the city of Suzal and chose to recognize his father.

In the city of Suzal, although she did not reveal her identity, she lived a typical life of a princess of the Obeszier family.

She received a formal education and was trained in court activities, including etiquette, magic, but also riding and fencing.

She studied under the Royal Chief Mage, Sandra Cotter, and also learned some political and military strategy from her father.

Until one day, Hesaiah had a violent argument with her father that she didn't want to be queen of the kingdom of Cormyr, and the conversation ended with broken plates and goblets.

For the future of the Kingdom of Cormyr and to have a new heir, King Yazen V chose to marry the prime minister's daughter.

The liberated Hesaiah also decided to go her own way because she couldn't bear the life of the royal family. She wanted to leave the palace and go to the outside world as an adventurer.

She also asked her father for a purple dragon seal ring, saying that when her heart suddenly settled down one day, she would retake Mokou Town as a pioneer knight.

However, halfway through the journey, he was assassinated by a group of assassins from Ximen. In a panic, Hesaiah was teleported to the Underdark by a chaotic teleportation spell.

Then there's Brian meeting her in the Underdark.

When Hesaiah left him the Purple Dragon Seal Ring and returned to the surface, he chose to stay in the Fairy Wilderness and learn the secrets of swordsmanship and magic from an Elling mentor.

"The adventure experience in the Underdark made her realize that her strength is still too weak, and she was worried that she would not be able to help you." Myrcella explained to him the reason why Hesaiah took the initiative to go to the Fairy Wilderness.

"So, she wants to practice in the Fairy Wilderness for a while, and then return to Ni. Every time I come to the Fairy Wilderness, she will ask me for any news about you, and has been thinking about how to meet you again. "

Hearing the news, Brian felt a little inexplicably uncomfortable.

This pure and naive noble lady, who is sometimes ecstatic and self-confident, actually cared so much about herself, which made him very ashamed.

"Actually, the day you brought City Lord Silver Moon to Mokou Town." Myrcella said helplessly, "She has already returned from the Fairy Wilderness, and is ready to meet you again."

When Myrcella finished speaking, Brian realized how much damage his previous actions would cause to a simple noble lady.

"I don't want to kidnap anyone in the name of love."

Hesaiah begged the female lord to conceal her whereabouts, and left Araby City alone without saying a word.

Brian could even recall the scene where Hesaiah shook his long brown-red hair, held a rune sword, and left without hesitation.

Three days ago, when Myrcella came to the wizard's tower, he only knew that Hesaiah had been active in the southern part of the Kingdom of Cormyr, in the area of ​​the Horn of Storms, for more than half a year when he disappeared.

Now, the orc army from the Stormhorn Mountains has besieged the city of Suzar, and when the king was fighting a purple dragon, he and the dragon disappeared into the depths of the mountains.

Although Myrcella had vowed never to set foot in the city of Suzal, she learned through her own intelligence network and the message from the royal chief mage Sandra Cote that Hesaiah was not in the city of Suzal. Instead, he led an army to the Forest of Kings to cover the retreat of the homeless civilians who were ravaged by orcs and dragons.

There is no doubt that her army was scattered by a mad ancient green dragon, and she was missing.

This is also the fundamental reason why Brian appeared here. He thought that Hisaiah would move closer to Mashanbai along with the fleeing civilians.

After sorting out the ins and outs of the incident, Brian suddenly realized what a serious and low-level mistake he had made.

He clamped his horse's belly suddenly, galloped and galloped towards the north.

On the fifth day, Brian hurried all the way to the ferry of the Gray Oak River, the only way to the Forest of Kings.

He believed that Hesaiah must still be fighting off orc invaders somewhere in the Forest of Kings.

The ferry picked up waves and headed straight for the shore.

The blunt prow parted the water, pushing away the dusty grass and leaves on the surface.

The rope groaned in the hands of the boatman, and the fleeing crowd gathered on the shore became agitated: women shouted, men cursed, children wailed, and cows, horses, and lambs screamed...

A monotonous and low-pitched song of fear.

"Back! Get out of the way! Back, damn it!" shouted a knight, his head wrapped in a bloody rag.

His horse stood belly-deep in water, raised its front hooves angrily, and splashed the water.

There were screams and yells from the docks, and soldiers with shields pushed through the crowd, poking around with the butt ends of their spears.

"Stay away from the ferry!" The knight waved his sword and shouted, "The army has priority! Back off, or heads will fall!"

Brian took the reins and stopped the horses.

A group of heavily armed soldiers was marching towards the ferry, and the heavy weapons and armor raised a thick cloud of dust, which even floated to the feet of the shield soldiers in front.

It can be seen that this is a group of defeated troops.

Brian was about to question him about Hisaiah when he suddenly spotted a familiar figure.

It was a half-elf in a dark purple coat and rose breeches.

His silver hair glowed pale golden in the sun, and the harp engraved with intricate patterns in his arms marked that he should be a senior bard.

He was standing on an abandoned truck on the side of the road. The car was filled with wooden cages, and the chickens and ducks in the cages kept crowing.

"Ellend Windfall!" Brian raised his voice, calling out to the poet.

After shouting, he suddenly regretted it, because how could the ancient silver dragon and silver wings appear in the Kingdom of Cormyr at this moment.

This made him suddenly realize that the poet was not Silver Wing pretending to be, but the real half-elf bard, Erend Windfall.

"Are you calling me, Your Excellency on horseback?" The poet quickly responded.

"That's right." Brian made the mistake, and drove his horse to his side. "Your Excellency, I want to ask you something."

"What happened to the Forest of Kings?" Before the poet could speak, he immediately asked, "Why are there so many deserters here, and, have you seen Xisai... see Natalia, is she The princess of the Kingdom of Cormyr is leading her own army to cover the retreat of the civilians."

"Stay away from the fucking ferry!" On the pier, the knight with his head wrapped in bandages was still yelling, "The pier is now reserved for the army, you rural bumpkins who only know how to farm, want to go to Mashan Take refuge in the cypress, take an ax to the forest, and build yourself a raft! The ferry is for the army!"

"Your Excellency who likes to ask questions, for the sake of the gods, you really have too many questions." The poet jumped off the abandoned truck, patted the chicken feathers on his coat, and said pantingly, " Gods be merciful, you must be the patron of a goddess of fortune, and I know all the questions you ask."

"Then don't talk nonsense, hurry up." Brian urged: "After answering my question, I will use magic to send you across the river."

He stretched out his hand, and a magical aura emerged, making the poet's eyes widen in surprise.

"Don't worry, Your Excellency the Wizard, let me take a breath." He calmed down his shortness of breath, and said to Brian:
"The Forest of Kings has been lost. Morning Star Town, Daodan Town, Shirp, and many towns and villages have all been occupied and destroyed by orcs. Your Excellency the Wizard, you must know that I have seen many soldiers in my life. I know marshals, generals, and commanders. Governors and governors, and acquainted with the victors of many battles and battles. I have heard their stories and reminiscences, I have seen them stare at maps, draw colorful lines on them, make plans, think about strategy. On paper In a war where everything works, everything is clear, everything is in order. It is necessary, the soldiers explained to me, that discipline and order are above all else in the army. Without discipline and order, the army simply cannot exist.

That's why real wars seem so strange to me—I've seen more than one! ——A war in reality is less disciplined and less orderly than a burning brothel. Naturally, these deserters appear here to survive.

You are asking about Natalia, I have met her many times, she is a confident, strong willed, independent girl, we all like to call her 'Princess of Steel', she has a very strong belief in right and wrong and is always ready Defend them on the edge of the sword, because this strong princess believes that a ruler like her father simply cannot take care of ordinary people, and she..."

"Get to the point!" Brian reminded impatiently.

Below you can hear the neighing of horses being wheeled onto the ferry, the clattering of hooves on the planks, the screaming and commotion of the crowd, the splash of wagons falling into the water, and the lowing of cows sticking their heads out of the water.

Brian watched crates and bales of hay floating on the river hit the hull of the ferry and drift away.

There were only yelling and cursing around, and a cloud of dust rose from the valley in the distance, and there was a clear howling of wolves, more like the orc wolf cavalry was about to chase.

"It can be seen that you must also be the suitor of the princess, which is understandable, after all, the number of people who pursue the princess is as many as she swings the sword." The poet continued, "She is a charming girl, tall and tall. Well, swinging the sword is like dancing..."

Bryan's magic made the poet shut his mouth in time, and almost bit his tongue. He broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly began to rearrange his words.

"May the gods have mercy. In the Forest of Kings, an ancient green dragon attacked the princess' army." The poet said sadly under Brian's unkind eyes:

"The orc army hiding in the forest dispersed the army again. The gods are merciful, I really can't guarantee that she will survive the dragon's breath. If she is really alive, then she must be hiding in a place near Daodan Town In the forest."

"Thank you for your message, poet."

Knowing that Hesaiah is likely to be near the town of Dawtan, Brian gave him a grateful look, raised his hand holding the rein, and said to the poet, "Now, it's time for me to fulfill my promise. take you across the river."

"Wait a minute!" The poet interrupted Brian's move to perform magic, and his expression suddenly became serious.

"Your Excellency the wizard, don't you see it? This is a unique war. Wherever the orc army goes, there are only wasteland and corpses, and corpses everywhere. This is a war fought only for killing. ..."

"Are you kidding me? What kind of war isn't cruel?" Brian looked down at the bard.

"It's no exaggeration. From the birth of the world, war has been about killing, looting, setting fire, and raping, and it continues to do so today. It's the tradition of war. From the beginning of the world, when war breaks out, farmers will Hiding into the forest with your family, your mouth, and the belongings you can take away, and returning home after the conflict is over..."

"But this war is different, Wizard Lord. When this war is over, no one can go home. They have no home. The orcs leave only rubble. Their armies roll on like lava, and no one can escape. There are gallows and pyres strewn along the road, and the sky is divided by a column of smoke as long as the horizon. You see, the Orcs crossed the Stormhorn Mountains to destroy the entire kingdom."

"It's ridiculous. Destroying the kingdom, what good is it for them? The purpose of war is not destruction. There are only two reasons for war: the first is power, and the second is money. Even the orcs understand this truth."

"Stop talking about big things, wizard lord! Big things don't change the facts! Didn't you hear me? Why don't you understand? Believe me, the Gray Oak River can't stop the orcs from marching. Wait for their shaman to arrive , will build a bridge and continue to advance, and no one will be able to escape when the time comes.”

"It seems that fear has driven poets out of their minds."

Brian looked at him meaningfully, "The purpose of your nonsense is to let me help these fleeing people escape the Gray Oak River safely."

"Aren't you willing to lend a helping hand to them?" The poet looked at him and begged, "For you, this is just a matter of raising your hands."

The howling of wolves in the depths of the forest came one after another, indicating that the wolf cavalry of the orcs was approaching rapidly, and fear filled the entire pier like a dark cloud in an instant.

"one by one!"

The bandaged knight galloped into the group and roared, "In order, you sons of bitches! Only one at a time!"

"Give me a reason to save them." Brian said coldly.

"We are Cormyrs, and in this land, we will stand proudly until the day we die, Your Excellency the Wizard." The poet's slender fingers struck a tragic melody on the harp, his voice sweet and pure , Even in the noisy crowd filled with fear, it was still clearly transmitted to Brian's ears.

"Because no matter which king orders it, we are still warriors of Cormyr and will still fight for the kingdom of Cormyr, wizard lord.

——"Psychic high-level supernatural workmanship!"

Brian waved his hand, and thick trees rose up along the pier.

Under the control of mysterious energy, these trees turned into brand new rafts at a speed visible to the naked eye, floating on the river bank.

"Why are you still standing there!" shouted the knight with a bandage on his head, "You bumpkins! Hurry up and row to the other side!"

All of a sudden, the fleeing crowd swarmed towards the raft, and the water surface was splashed with turbulent waves. There were countless unlucky people who fell into the water. They struggled in the water and approached the raft.

Brian turned his horse's head without looking back, and rushed towards the dusty forest to the north.

Fireballs exploded one by one.

The screams of the chasing orc wolf cavalry rang out one after another, and the crowd sailed to the opposite bank, looking at the bursting flames, their haggard faces finally revealed long-lost cheers.

"May the goddess of luck favor you!"

The half-elf bard Ellend Windfall stood on the raft, staring at Brian's disappearing back, and whispered: "I didn't expect that we would meet again in this way, Mage Lord of Mokou Town, as always Let me admire..."

Dawn of the seventh day.

It was raining, and unlike yesterday's storm, the sky just turned leaden and then rained.

Brian rode eastward, stalking the forest trails like a ghost.

He didn't choose to fly, and he didn't want to be a living target for the enemy. Even so, he didn't even remember how many orcs, ogres, goblins, gnolls, and many other cruel forest encounters he had killed through magic. By.

Moreover, walking on horseback would allow him to track down a lot of useful information through the trails left by the forest trails.

He passed villages engulfed in flames, billowing darkness and reddened rubble, past villages and settlements long ago scorched, filled with the pungent smell of rain-soaked carbon ash.

His appearance scared away the crows that were feasting on the corpse.

He also rescued groups of farmers from being chased by a group of jackals.

They had just escaped from the war and the fire, and they were confused, exhausted physically and mentally, and they returned fearful and confused eyes to any question. The doom and terror even made them lose the ability to organize words.

Brian continued to ride eastward, in the forest kingdom, through flames and thick smoke, through drizzle and fog, the picture scroll of war unfolded before his eyes, and he was overwhelmed by all the tragedies.

Amidst the ruins of a burnt village stood a black pillar.

A naked corpse was hung upside down on a pillar. Blood flowed from the mangled abdomen to the chest and face of the corpse, and the blood-clotted hair hung down like icicles.

Not far away, there was a gray horse wrapped in black, staggering along the edge of the battlefield, lingering among the piles of corpses and broken spears embedded in the soil, neighing pitifully softly, and dragging the horse hanging from the wound on its abdomen. intestines.

Bryan helped it end the pain by using magic without any pain.

A girl lies sprawled near a burned farmyard, her naked body dripping with blood, her glassy eyes staring at the sky.

He let out the flames, and reduced her to ashes with dignity.

Not long after, he passed a tar factory, and Brian threw up almost everything he ate that day.

In that workshop, a group of purple dragon knights were executed.

It was difficult for him to see the exact number of this group of people.

For in this massacre, they used not only bows and arrows, long swords, and spears, but also the logging tools they found nearby-axes, planers, and cross-cut saws.

He summoned a swarm of digger badgers and buried it.

For the next two days, he didn't even manage to cover fifty kilometers.

The rain kept falling, and the dry land soaked up water like a sponge, making the forest trails muddy and difficult to walk.

The rising fog prevented him from seeing the rising smoke, but the smell of burning houses reminded him that the orc army was nearby, still lighting everything that could be burned.

He didn't find any refugees, and he seemed to be alone in the forest, or so he thought.

When he arrived at the ruins of Dotan Town, the pious chanting that gradually filled the forest appeared.

At the source of the sound, Brian saw a group of squalid refugees appear.

The few leaders all had big beards, wore coarse robes, some were barefoot, some wore sandals, and on their chests, they wore holy emblems with pale hands bound by red strings.

Behind walked about sixty ragged men, women, and children, and a piebald sow, some sheep, a few men with axes, and many more with rough wooden clubs.

Among them was a two-wheeled trailer of gray splintered wood piled high with skulls and here and there broken bones.

Seeing Brian, they all stopped, and the chanting died down.

"My dear wizard." One of them said, "May the mercy of the suffering god protect you."

"Irmaat protects you too, friends."

Brian got off his horse, replied with a respectful expression, and asked, "I want to ask where the Steel Princess of the Kingdom of Cormyr went with her troops."

Irmat, god of suffering.

A deity who holds the portfolios of Endurance, Suffering, Martyrdom, and Fortitude.

This is a lawful good deity who is also known as the 'Weeping God'.

His followers include the crippled, the oppressed, the poor, monks, paladins, slaves and serfs, the lowest and most humble of people.

Although many people misunderstand the teachings of the "Weeping God", and even mocked his teachings, his church has many steadfast followers throughout the main material world.

In this cruel and realistic world, many sufferers, sick, and poor depend on the aid of the Church of Irmat to survive.

People in many areas respect the Church of the Weeping God, and his priests often receive a lot of generous assistance when they practice medicine for free everywhere.

Some people can't understand why there are people in the world who are willing to endure torture, so they often misunderstand the Church of Ilmater.

Those who despise the weak mostly think that the followers of the Weeping God are a group of weak people without scheme.

However, it is clear that these tyrants and scoundrels have underestimated these good believers.

Because the personality of the Weeping God seems to be very gentle, but when he is angry, he will also show an extremely violent and cruel side.

Especially for the evil one, he cares deeply about all the children and young lives in the world, and strikes down those who dare to harm the objects of his protection.

From the wandering of this group of priests, it can be seen that their strength is by no means as simple as it seems on the surface.

"My lord, the Princess Natalia you are looking for walked with us two days ago." The priest who spoke had a lean and angular face, a short taupe beard, and thinning hair combed back , tied into a knot, a pair of black bare feet as hard and rough as tree roots.

"When she saw a purple dragon fall in the town of Skull Rock in the Horn of Storm Mountains, she led her followers to rush there, and may the God of Suffering protect the strong Iron Princess of the Kingdom of Cormyr."

"Your Excellency the Wizard, Irmat has seen the suffering you are enduring for others. Please remember that no matter what kind of pain and danger you encounter, you must adhere to the correct principles unwaveringly."

The priest of the God of Suffering held the holy emblem in his hand and said reverently, "Because the mercy and mercy of our Lord will provide you with the courage and strength to carry on."

"Thank you for your blessing, and thank the God of Suffering for giving me courage."

Brian returned a salute to the priest with a sincere and respectful expression, then dropped his mount, cast the flying spell, and flew into the sky.

After locking on to Skull Rock Town on the edge of the Horn of the Storm Mountain Range, he immediately opened the protective cover and flew over at the fastest speed.

(End of this chapter)