1 Rare Men, Common Place

As the metal man walked down the gravel road, he got some strange looks and whispers, but that was something he was used to. He adorned two short swords on either hip, leather armor and a long and tattered black cloak. A few days prior he found a job in a tavern posting, it said it was dangerous but wasn't very specific as to what the job would entail. The job piqued the metal man's interest enough to take it, not to mention it paid well over ten times all of the other jobs put together. As the metal man was walking down the road, scanning the buildings, he saw the tavern they were told to meet on this day, 'The Opened Rose Inn'.

As he looked over at the table he was told to meet at, he saw two other figures already sitting there. The first was a red-skinned tiefling sitting there looking around with a smile. She was wearing a seemingly new blue dress and a symbol of The Platinum Dragon around her neck. The second figure was a mostly black rat, wearing a top hat and a golden monocle with crystal instead of glass.

As the metal man approached the table and sat down, the tiefling girl spoke, "Oh uh, h-hey there, what's your name!" The metal man gave her a look "Mhmm," He took out a mostly empty book and started writing in it. The tiefling girl took notice of this and said, "W-well my name's Ebony! What are you writing there?" He slowly turned his head toward her, "I call it, 'The Art of War'." A bit of intrigue hit her eye, "O-oh, that sounds cool, what is it about?" He stopped writing once more, this time not looking at Ebony, "The art of war…" "R-right…" She replied, "Uh, do you… do you know what his deal is?" As she pointed at the dressed up rat.

"Oh are you talking about me?" said the rat. As he spoke Ebony's face turned from confusion to a face of shock and almost horror. The metal man let out the smallest chuckle imaginable "Tzusun." Ebony looked at him, struggling to take her eyes off of the talking rat, "Huh?" He rolled his eyes, "My name… Tzusun." "Oh, well it's nice to meet you!" Tzusun takes note of her extended hand, but does not return the gesture.

Tzusun unintentionally arrived a bit late, but that did not stop the group from waiting an additional half an hour or so, mostly in silence. As Ebony was about to break the silence, the man who had planned to hire them entered the tavern, a very old trident man wearing tattered robes and carrying an unused cane. He immediately looked at the table where Tzusun, Ebony, and the rat were sitting and said, "Oh, there are only two of you? Oh well, you two will be enough, I hope…" "Uh, a-are you talking t-" Before Ebony could finish the trident exclaimed, "Come come! There isn't much time! We must get this done quickly! I haven't gotten a good night's sleep in weeks!" And the trident hastily walked out of the tavern.

"Are we following him?" The rat asked. Ebony was momentarily stunned, as she forgot he could talk. "Uh I think so!" She unintentionally snapped back. Without a word Tzusun stood up and walked out the door after the trident. "Yo can I go into your bag? You know cause I'm a rat." "Uh, s-sure, I-I guess…" Ebony carefully picked up the rat and put him into her side bag and began speed walking until they were at pace with Tzusun and the trident. Even though the trident was speed walking, he was barely faster than any of his employees, whether it be from his crooked and twisted back or the fact that he was four foot eleven, hunch included.

The trident brought them to the outskirts of town, to a small, old, but well kept wooden cabin up on top of a hill. The trident quickly opened the door to his home and said, "come in come in! There is much to be done!" As they made their way inside, the only things of note are a long metal pipe with some wood on one end, and a comically large black book with a twisted face for a cover.

The trident tries to pick up the book, which is on the lone table, but fails, so he opens it where it lies. As he flips through the pages, Ebony asks a question, "Hey uh, mister trident sir? What exac-" "Yes?" "Oh, uh… What exactly are we fighting again? And how much are we getting paid for this?" A moment of silence stays before he responds, as he is putting most of his attention into the book. "I'm getting to that, And if you would have read the paper… one hundred gold each." "Each?! Damn that a lot of money." "Well it's a… a uh… dangerous job."

Tzusun leans over the trident's shoulder, which isn't hard as he's a solid two feet taller than him. Tzusun shows interest for the very first time, "Hey, What is-'' Before he could finish, the trident cuts him off, "I found it, here look, here's the creature!" As the group looks at the page it shows an image, a name, and a few tips and tricks on how to hunt and kill the creature in question. The name reads 'The Shrill', and the image depicts a bulky gorilla-like body with a human skull for a head. The skull's bottom jaw is missing, instead it has these long thick tentacles coming out of its mouth and throat. Instead of hands, it adorns huge crab-like claws, and has white bone armor with heavy black quills coming out of its back and shoulders.

Ebony looks at the trident with wide eyes and shaking hands, "W-we-we're s-supposed to f-fight that?" "Well of course, but here's the kicker, th-" A large clang sound is heard from the back of the cabin. Everyone snaps their heads to where the sound came from. As soon as the others looked toward the noise, all they see is the metal pipe lying on the ground, and an older gnome gentleman looking back at them with a twisted and broken smile. "Oh you must be one of the people who collected my job posting." The trident exclaimed, "Come here, you have a monster to kill!" "Yes." replied the gnome, as the gnome walked forward, his feet pushing against the ground didn't quite match the speed of him, but no one paid it any mind.

"As I was saying" The trident continues, " The kicker is that stabbing really does some damage, oh, and avoid using radiant magic, this thing does not care for it, but in the bad way, for us." "So uh, w-where is this thing?" Ebony says with her heart in her throat. "Right down there." The trident says as he points down to a wooden trapdoor with a metal latch. "It's in my basement, don't know how it got there, but I need it gone." "One hundred gold right?" Ebony asks nervously, "Hundred straight." "Who's going first?" Tzusun chimes in, "I can." Says the gnome, though his face doesn't move. Tzusun silently walks over to the trapdoor and opens it, while giving the gnome an impatient look. As one by one, the group descends the ladder, the trident shouts, "I'll be here when you get back!"

After the group made it to the basement, they could see no monster. All they see is the cobblestone walls and floor, the water encasing most of the floor, a pile of seemingly random garbage, and a few mangled and torn corpses amongst the rubble. "It's dark." Tzusun notes, as he is the only one that cannot see in the dark, but it was not pitch black, only dim. As he said this Ebony pointed into the darkness, which was pitch black, "T-th-there." As the monster arose from the darkness, it had a centenarian lower half, except instead of a horse, it was a spider or centipede, having around eight or ten legs. Another thing the book failed to mention, is the Shrill is well above ten feet tall, though it is almost silent, as it barely disturbs the water as it moved toward the group with caution.

Tzusun immediately draws his blades and moves into a defensive position. The gnome tries to circle around, though the whole time he stays in the eyeline of the creature, eventually deciding to move along and hug the cavern wall. Ebony merely stands in place, fear stricken by the hulking form of the Shrill. As the Shrill cautiously and inquisitively moves toward the group, they stand at the ready, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

Eventually the Shrill moved close enough to Tzusun, who was closest to it when it first emerged, that it was looming over him, almost encasing Tzusun in its presence. Then suddenly the Shrill delivers Tzusun a heavy blow to his stomach, actually tearing a hole into him. Tzusun retaliates with a series of swift strikes, taking aback the creature and making it recoil. Ebony, after seeing this, immediately runs to Tzusun and magically closes the gaping hole the Shrill left in his midsection. The Shrill then starts to glow with a white light from a seemingly outside source, though it doesn't seem to mind as it continues to lay waste to Tzusun.

Ebony then mutters a prayer under her breath as she hesitantly raises her hand toward the Shrill, her hand becoming encased in black and purple magic. The Shrill then flicks its head at her, making her flinch and the magic disperses into the air. Her strength finds her however, and she says the same incantation, this time her hand makes contact with the Shrill, and it silently withdraws as its arm and shoulder starts to bleed and rot heavily. Ebony has taken the attention of the Shrill, which was previously on Tzusun, and in return the Shrill brings its closed claw high above its head and slams down on Ebony's, bringing her to her feet and nearly knocking her out entirely. Then the Shrill looks back at Tzusun, and starts to incase him in its tentacles. Within a manner of seconds Tzusun's entire body locks up, and falls head first into the water.

The Shrill looks toward Ebony once more, who has retreated towards the beginning of the cavern. As it skitters toward her, it suddenly falls over as its head rolls off of its shoulders. As the body falls, the figure of Tzusun, blades out, covered in blood and poked full of many holes, stands. "Wow that shit was hard." Tzusun exclaims as he sheaths his blades. He then walks over and helps Ebony to her feet, afterwards he snaps his fingers and says some words in an unknown language, then his eyes glaze over a light, glowing blue. Tzusun senses something behind him, two things in fact, and as he turns around, he sees the gnome rummaging through the pile of garbage beneath the water.

The gnome pulls out a deck of cards, holding only about thirty or forty cards, and a silver rod, on one end is a king chess piece, and on the other a queen. Tzusun walks up to the gnome, "Give me the deck." "But I found it." The gnome replied, Tzusun put his hand on the hilt of his blade, "I want the deck, give me the deck." "Alright alright here." The gnome says with the same unmoving smile as he hands over the deck. As Tzusun and the gnome walk toward Ebony, she gives the gnome a confused look and asks, "Sorry, uh w-who are you again?" The gnome looks at her with his rotten, twisted grin and says, "Oh I'm the rat." And continues past her. Ebony looks into the darkness with a look of confusion and surprise, before shaking herself from the shock and joining the others.

The group climbs back up the ladder, with Tzusun going up first. As Tzusun's head pokes through the trapdoor, his eyes lock with the trident's, who is sitting in the corner with the pipe pointing toward the trap door, and the wooden part against his shoulder. When Tzusun's eyes meet with the trident's, he flinches, but once the trident sees it's him he exhales a long and heavy breath, and lowers the pipe. The trident stands up and helps the group out of the cavern, they were beaten up pretty bad after all.

"S-so, uh, I'm assuming you killed it?" The trident asks with a frog in his throat. "Yeah, uh, what was with the bodies in there?" Ebony asked. "Previous mercenaries who couldn't cut it." He replied. As he said that a light smile creeped across Tzusun's face. "I don't th-" "I'll get you your payment, one moment." The trident says, cutting Ebony off as he walks into another room. Everyone gives each other a curious eye as they wait for the trident to return. As they wait, the gnomish form disappears leaving the rat in his place, floating. Then the dressed up rat goes over to the table and sits down. Eventually he does return, and with him is a heavy leather sack clinking and clanking with gold.

The trident puts the gold on the table, "Oh I'm sorry, I forgot to give you the other half of your payment, I'll grab that now before I forget." And he hobbles back into the other room. As the group turns away from the trident to grab and divide the gold, it's gone. The trident comes back with two small vials with a bright red liquid, each about the size of a pointer finger. He then hands out the vials to Tzusun and Ebony, after this the trident asks, "What happened to that gnomish fellow?" "Uh, I think he left, but uh, better question, what happened to the gold?" "It's on the ta-"

As he looks toward the table, releasing the gold is gone, says, "And you all didn't take the gold?" Both of them shake their heads in denial, "Well, I must give you all something for your trouble, this is all I have but you must be given something, even if it is small." The trident reaches behind his back and pulls out a small leather pouch. He pulls twenty five gold for both of them, Ebony takes only ten gold and says, "Y-you should really keep some of this." Tzusun puts his hand up and silently rejects all of the gold. "Well I am sorry your payment was cut short." Says the trident,

"No, please don't worry about it." Replies Ebony, "Well, if you're looking for more work, you should go to the capital city. I think the tavern name is The Rushed Tap or something, it has been some time. Ask for Mister T, he'll give you some work." "Oh ok, well, we'll be seeing you around then!" Ebony said somewhat awkwardly, as the group began to turn around to leave.

The group walked back into town, returning to the same tavern where they met earlier that day. They sit down at the same table and the rat turns into the gnome once more, as he calls over an employee of the tavern. A nice woman that looks to be in her forties or so walks up to the table, greeting them with warm smiles. "Hey honey!" She says looking at Ebony, "How did the job go? You and your friends here look all scratched up." "Uh, good…" Ebony replied quietly, "Well anyways, can I get you honey's anything particular?" "Uhh, mom…" Ebony says somewhat embarrassed.

"I'm not thirsty." Tzusun says a bit coldly, "Hmm, can I get like a shot glass right? But filled with water." The gnome said. "I'll take wine… a bottle." Ebony said with her head in her hands. "Alright, I will come back once everything is ready, have fun with your friends dear!" Ebony's Mom exclaims as she walks away with a stride. Tzusun turns to Ebony, "That's your mother?" "Ugh, yeah…" Ebony replies embarrassingly, "Mhmm, right." They sit in silence for another minute or so before Ebony's mom returns with the assorted drinks.

About ten minutes go by of the rat drinking from his shot glass and Ebony sipping wine from the bottle before Tzusun stands up suddenly and says, "I'll be back later." And walks out of the tavern. Shortly after, the rat's gnome form also stood up, "I must shop, I shall search for wears, then return when they have been procured." He then walks out of the tavern, muttering to himself. Ebony sighs, takes a large swig of wine, and waits. Tzusun went to a nearby store to buy a wok looking bowl and way too much incense, after the coin was exchanged, he made his way back to the tavern. As he walked back inside and sat down, he turned to Ebony and asked, "Where'd the rat thing go?" "Shopping I think…" Ebony replied half drunk. Then Tzusun took out the same book and started writing again.

Meanwhile, the rat went wandering the streets, peering into shops for only seconds at a time. After about half an hour, he enters a general store, his eyes looking right toward a simple rock on one of many full shelves. His form walks over to the small stone, picking it up and showing it to the seeming owner of the shop, "How much for this uh, rock here?" The older man lets out a mild chuckle, "A copper." "Alright." The rat replied surprised. The rat then tossed the owner a copper and walked out the door. "Have a good night sir!" The elderly man exclaimed, "Yep." The rat replied.

About forty five or so minutes, as well as most of the wine bottle later, the rat finally returns. "I have gained, so much." He says as he sits down, "When should we leave for the capital?" Tzusun asks bluntly, "First thing tomorrow?" Ebony replies, this time more than half drunk, "Sounds good." The rat chimes in, "But uh, you know, I'm tired, so are we like, getting a room here, or sleeping outside or something?" The rat continues, "I'm going to my moms… you guys can come if you wanna…" Ebony suggests. "Oh yeah can I come?" The rat asks,

"Yep… hey uh, T.G. you comin'?" Ebony says as she looks up at Tzusun with a light smile. Tzusun quickly stands up, "I will sleep outside." And walks out of the tavern. Ebony then got up, left the tavern with the rat in her side bag, and went to her moms house. As Ebony and the rat were about to fall asleep, Ebony asks a question, "Hey, did I ever ask you your name?" "Nah not really." "Well c-" "It's Therat by the way." "Hmm, cool…" Ebony says as she drifts off.

The next day, Ebony woke up to the smell of bacon and butter. She got out of bed with a light headache, grabbed Therat, and went to investigate the smell. As she left her room, Ebony saw her mother making a fine and hearty breakfast. "Oh, good morning honey! Breakfast is almost ready!" Her mom exclaimed, "Alright." Ebony replied, still reeling from last night. "You want any of this Therat? D-do… wait, do you even eat?" Ebony asked quietly, "Yeah I'll have some." Therat replied.

"Hey mom!" Ebony said with an elevated voice, "Yes dear?" Her mom replied expectantly. "Could you uh, could you make two plates?" "Sure honey, are one of your new friends coming over or are you just that hungry?" She said with a grin. "Y-yeah, one of them should be here soon… I think." "Hey uh, do yo-'' Ebony looks at her side bag and Therat is gone. She looks and sees him on the table, no longer wearing his hat or monocle, waiting "I hunger." He says impatiently.

As Ebony's mom walks out of the kitchen, she fails to see Therat until she puts down the three plates of food. "I made lots so if you're still hungry afterwards ju-'' She looks at Therat, lets out a screech and runs back into the kitchen. "The games begin." Therat says as he jumps off of the table, slowly glides down, and skitters under a nearby cabinet. Ebony gives herself a facepalm, "Oh great," As her mom comes back with a rolling pin and says in a murderous tone, "Where did it go?" "Mom… this is going to sound like a lot ok? But that rat is my friend… and he can talk." "What?" Ebony's mom replies, "Therat, get out here please."

Therat then reveals himself from under the cabinet and begins to float back onto the table, "Yo can I eat now?" He says to Ebony's mother. "Uhh… yes…" She replies as she walks back into the kitchen, stunned by the talking floating rat. Soon everyone is at the table eating breakfast, a mostly quiet meal except for the loud chewing coming from Therat. "I'm not hungry…" Ebony says somewhat sadly, "You want it Therat?" "Yes." Therat replies with his mouth full. Ebony scrapes her mostly untouched plate onto Therat's, who eat every single bite given to him.

As Therat and Ebony's mom are finishing up their breakfast, they hear a series of heavy metal clanks against gravel. Ebony looks out the window to see Tzusun walking past the house. Ebony quickly says her goodbyes and rushes to catch up with Tzusun. "W-where are you going T.G.?" She asks, "To the capital." He replies, keeping his gaze ahead of him. "Oh, do you guys think I should buy a cart? I wanna buy a cart. I'm buying a cart." Therat says as he leaves Ebony's side bag, goes into an alley, turns into the gnome, and walks off.

Ebony and Tzusun wait for about twenty or so minutes before the same gnomish form comes back with a cart, affixed with a white cloth top and two horses. As Therat stops the cart at Ebony's and Tzusun's sides he says, "I have spent all of my money." "Damn, where'd you get so much money Therat?" Ebony says with genuine surprise. "Hey remember when that fish guy gave us all that money and it disappeared? Yeah that." "You- uh… you stole, from that fish guy? Wa- why?" "Money…" Therat says, presumably with his mouth watering. "Are we leaving?" Tzusun asks, "Uh, y-yeah I think so?" Ebony answers, "Alright." Tzusun says as he steps into the back of the cart, then Ebony follows soon after.

The cart quickly starts moving toward the edge of town, but it doesn't get far before Tzusun puts his book down and asks Therat, "Do you know how to drive a cart?" "Hmm… no." He replies assuredly. "Would you like me to drive then?" Tzusun asks in an unimpressed tone. "Sure." Therat replies before moving to the back of the cart. Tzusun moves to the front of the cart and the group continue their journey to the capital.

A few hours of mostly silent travel go by before the group comes across a heavy, fallen tree over the gravel road. The tree stretches from tree line to tree line, so they would most likely have to abandon the cart if they were to go around. As they approach the fallen tree, they see a merchant's cart, the merchant himself, and his two bodyguards failing to move the tree. "Hello! Excuse me! Can you folks help my companions here?" The merchant says loudly as he waves his arms toward the group. "Sure! How can we help?" Ebony says excitedly.

"I have an idea." Says Therat as he walks over to the tree. Therat takes out a sock of some kind seemingly filled with gold pieces or some other type of coin. Therat starts spinning it slowly, but then the spinning becomes faster, and faster. As he spins the sock he begins to levitate and crackle with blue lightning. Everyone stands back as Therat is now about five feet off of the ground, and encased in lightning that is now leeching to the ground and tree. After about a minute of Therat's power becoming more and more intense, he throws the sock at the tree.

Fifteen feet of the tree is instantaneously atomized, not even sawdust remains. The sock was also destroyed, scattering gold all over the gravel road. Tzusun sits in the cart impatiently but in silence, "Hey can you guys help me pick up my money?" Therat asks. Ebony quickly hops off of the cart and starts to help Therat pick up his gold, as does the merchant and his protectors. The merchant walks up to Ebony and gives her the picked up coins, as well as a small leather pouch, "If you would be so kind, could you give this to the small one?" The merchant asks Ebony, "S-sure!" She says surprised.

"I don't know what you people are," The merchant continues, "but you lot were a great help, we thank you." "O-of-of course." Ebony says, not sure how to respond. The merchant and his protectors get back on their cart and move it more to the side, allowing the group to pass. As the group gets back on the cart and resumes their way, the merchant goes, "I'll pray for clear skies on your behalf travelers!" "Y-you too!" Ebony replies. The group continues on their travels for about a day until they come across the town of 'Aston'.