Sam’s Journal Entry #16

[aquaace]

Hey Kid,

Sorry there was a dry spell between this entry and the last. Wasn’t much to update, wasn’t much to teach. Wasn’t much at all, really. A lot of camping and investigating but no more answers than the ones I already wrote about.

Until today, that is.
Remember the last time I said that you literally wouldn’t believe what happened because it was too crazy to believe I wasn’t just pulling your leg about it?
Guess what?

You’re not gonna believe what happened today.

It started off relatively normal. I finally found Meadowmere. The actual place, not just the people I met in the maze. Kelora and a town guard guy named MEAT- no, I’m not kidding- found me and a couple stragglers on the outer edge and brought us in. It was kind. Kelora seems to be one of the only local healers in the area and is just as kind as when I last saw her. Gave me a dose of Ability Armor and everything. I know you’d be telling me to check her motives, but I’ve got a good feeling about her.

Turns out I arrived during a festival for an end of war or something. Lucky me, right?
Except it’s my luck so you know something happened.

I’ll spare you the play by play and give you the good stuff:

I joined the Consortium! Like actually joined this time, not just invited. It’s a pretty damn good gig and I’m not just saying that because I’ve been living off handfuls of pickpocketed change. There’s real pay on top of commission for jobs done well. And their boss- I guess I should say, my boss now- is a real good guy. Tannas, the one who offered before. He’s the type of good that’s almost too good, you know? Like something happened, and now he makes the choice to do good every day. You’d want to check his motives, I know it, but I… I think he’s just that good. I think you’d have to get over yourself so you could get around to liking him. I think you’d be mad about how fast he’d grow on you! Ha ha!

I also got to see Grimm again! The pirate!! The one you’d like because he is just like the ones from your books! And I mean just like them. He’s a bit of a sneak, ya know? He reminds me a lot of you. Settled back and calm, but always aware. Eyes open and ear to the ground. And there’s this under current about him. Charismatic in a way that makes you feel in on the joke but reminds me of you when you’re running the show. It’s probably why I’ve decided to make an ally of him. Or, try, at least. He talked about his home, the Vertigron Aisles. They sounded nice. You’d want to visit them. He said he’d take us and give a tour. For a price, of course. (That’s why I think he’s a bit of a sneak! He slipped it in so fast, I almost agreed! But don’t worry, I didn’t.) Maybe after all this. When you two are friends and things aren’t so bad. Maybe we’ll even go on a vacation. That’d be nice, huh?

By the way, how’d you make pick pocketing look so effortless!? I felt like my heart was beating out of my chest. That’s so much scarier than a fight! I’ll take bloody knuckles over sticky fingers any day. But I’m pacing myself. I really am! There’s this mini disappointed little brother in the back of my mind with crossed arms tapping his foot keeping me in line and telling me “pick your battles like you wanna keep what’s left of your brain!” And I do! I actually gotta do some thinking these days. You probably appreciate the break. I’m trying to do the things you would do. I can always rely on you, so if I do the things you do, then I can start to rely on myself like that.

But while I was taking those sticky pick jobs, that’s when things were getting crazy.

A group of refugees and travelers had joined the festival, right? They all apparently knew each other and were looking to get this rock for a prophecy for their Guardian. They accomplished this by causing an earthquake and an eclipse. Little on the dramatic side for my taste. Not that I helped, really. I thought I was! Running messages and grabbing my boss so he could tell these folks to knock it off but man… bad call. It sundered the whole town, apparently. Looks like I need a little Morey your brains over mine, huh?

Yeah, that was bad. I know.

It worked itself out enough at least. After a bunch of artifact hot potato and arguing that is. There were some casualties: Grimm lost his gun to a town guard, everyone lost the artifact to an Owl, I got lost trying to figure out what was going on at one point. Literally. I ended up on the wrong side of town while some Shades attacked. It was all over when I found my way back.

My type of luck, right?

It doesn’t matter. Like, I said it worked out enough. No one was mortally injured. And for some reason it led to the ground getting fixed and the majority of Meadowmere being hired as research assistants for an adventure. I’m going with them. Not only as a hired sword for the Consortium but because exploring Astrel will give me a chance to look for the coins.

I’m still a little lost without your help. But don’t worry, I’ll figure it out. And if you’re reading the entry, you know I already did.

I’m ending this one here. It’s late and my lantern is burning out.

Love you, Kid.

S.R.W-C.

[Author]

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