Upon hearing a side door being opened, I quickly climb partially up the rope we used to lower ourselves down, and stay there. Holding my breath and staying as still and quiet as I can. The others scurry to hide behind the various stacks of crates. Once the goons have entered and walked into the room, I drop down to surprise them - and we strike! We take them down easily, but then more goons appear, and they are joined by a much larger, fiercer warrior we learn is the one named Rok. Not the mage like we had been told.
The Drow we questioned lied to us, despite the threat of the “Soulcrusher”...
The fight is intense, and this warrior is not going down. He takes hit after hit, and after fighting for a bit reveals that he is able to use some magic as well. He casts a spell that lifts Tormund up into a levitating grasp. Our strong companion is rendered useless floating mid air. but Tormund is once again proving to be a surprising man. He takes out his fishing rod, casts and hooks himself to Rok and uses him as an anchor to pull himself to one of the walls. From there he pushes of with his feet, launches himself off the wall and right at Rok. They both tumble and take a little bit of damage, but what is important is that it’s enough to break the concentration of the spell and Tormund is free!
We are throwing everything we have at him and are beginning to deplete our resources, and our health. Then more Drow show up, with the ornately dressed mage in tow. Fuck. I try to quickly stab Rok once more before darting away, and the mage casts mage armour on him, making him completely shielded from my blade. Feeling defeated, I join Stuart on a boardwalk that will lead to safety through one of the broken windows. If we can make it... I hate giving up on a fight but this is beyond our capabilities. We start to make it towards the windows, and Tormund and Baldor realise what we are doing and start climbing the stacks of crates to reach the boardwalk as well. With the mage and more goons present, and Rok not going down, we have no option but to flee.
As we do so, Stuart, in an act of bravery (or stubbornness?), decides to fire one last arrow with his crossbow. The mage cannot deploy mage armour again, it pierces the flesh of Roks throat and he falls to the ground!
But, in this victorious moment I see the mage charge up lightning magic of some kind, looking straight at me and Stuart. I quickly push him out of the way, we fall over and the bolt blasts right through the wall. Creating a closer exit for us. I thank my halfling heritage and the luck that seem to follow me, and I grab Stuarts cloak and toss both of us out the hole and into the safety of the night. I worry for my companions but shortly after they come leaping out the same hole.
We are not waiting to see what the enemy will do. We run, and as we follow Stuart, zigzagging through narrow streets and alleyways he takes us to a safe house, one of many accommodations own by his family. For now at least, we can eat, patch up our wounds and rest.
As we go to bed I whisper “that’s twice I’ve saved your life now, Stuart”.
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