Ironsworn- A solo mystic adventure

 This week I decided to take a small break from working on the Tallyden Journals. I humbly apologize but it's been a hard week and my muse has decided to flutter away for a little bit. Thank you for following along and reading we'll be back at the normal time 4pm PST on Friday the 6th.  Small Spoiler: The trouble will erupt from within.  C.P.D. Adkins (chiefwerewlf/Tallyden)

             The next dawn came with a light misting and rays of red light. I woke up as the sun rose over the eastern hills. I left the healer hut with my staff. I was dressed in light flax tunic and soft hide pants. I looked around the village and everything was calm and cool. I stretched a bit to loosen my jounts. I had the necklace I found on the body around my neck. I wanted to check with  Maura and Bevin, first to apologize. Then I wanted to ask if they had any words for their deceased husband/father.             So I walked to the house. In the few days that I’ve been gone the village had come together and fixed her basement door. I went up to the houses front door and knocked gently. She reluctantly answered the door. She saw me and sighed a breath of relief. She opened her door the rest of the way and I noticed Bevin going to hide. I didn’t need to call to the boy. Instead I stepped into the house quietly. Maura looked at me as I took the locket off and showed her.        

             We woke up that morning warmly against each other. I felt a little sore from the fight yesterday but I was thankful Parkik was safe. He woke up with me and we both got up and went about our morning duties. I handled the food and cooking the serpent meat while he began the early tear-down of the tent. We ate together and talked as we ate. I learned that his village had a tribunal of the wealthiest merchant families. Their circle was run by material possessions and trade routes. His family owned the longest trade route in the village by going from the Tempest hills all the way down to the flooded lands. I shared with him the importance of our mystics and how Ithella and Racha ran the entirety of Steadfast and that wealth wasn’t important. I remember toying with the iron ring and him eyeing it. I told him of the unusual properties of iron for the mystics and of my wish to find out more about the use of iron in magic, or at least it’s connections to the pillars.            

 (This is a longer post because so much happened.)                 Parkik and I were sitting on the storehouse steps and he repeated, “So. You need to grab this body to help finish your trial of spirit. The fact that this body is west of the town means that it will cross the path of that Basilisk. Sounds like you’ll be able to kill two birds with one stone here. You and I can go handle the Basilisk and then recover this dead body.”             I looked at this guy. “So, we’re going to do this? Together?”             “Yes! Basilisk and body. It can’t be too hard!” Parkik said.             “Alright, it’s going to be a small journey… prepare yourself. I need to talk to Ithella and Racha…apologize and get my staff back.”             I got up at that point and Parkik was on his way to prepare the supplies for the journey.             Before we parted, Parkik said, “We’ll meet beside the iron pillar on the road out of the town.”             I nodded without looking at him and the

                 I brought the staff down hard. It busted through the wood, weakening the bar that held the door in place and as I pulled it out, I fell into the basement, onto the first step. I had accidently destroyed the whole door, cracking the lock in half. I looked up at the sky and said, “thank you.” Whoever was watching after me allowed for me to enter this place, so I went into the basement, ready for almost anything.             The basement was dark and damp but there was a small lamp aglow. With small pieces of parchment with charcoal drawings all scattered around a pallet. There was a rustle behind me and I quickly put my staff up and blocked a guy lumbering towards me. I moved so that he fell and then I straddled him. He held up his arms. As the light cast it’s orange glow over the guy I noticed one arm ended on a stub. I took a breath.             “Don’t hurt me!” he said.             I looked down at him. He looked back with blue eyes and matted brown hair. His bo