User blog:Aielwyn/I should've just stayed in bed

''This blog is intended to chronicle the adventures of the party and is told from the perspective of the party’s Ranger, Kassandra. The views expressed in this writing are what the character herself would perceive and are being written down to show how Kassandra changes while interacting with everyone in the world around her. ''

 

Drip, drip, drip.

Ugh. Really? Between the downpour outside and the seemingly ever-present earthquakes, can this really be called ‘Paradise’?

I sat up in bed and rubbed my eyes and pulled my red hair up into a ponytail, splashed some cold water on my face, pulled on my boots, belt, and cloak, and got ready to leave for the day. I looked around our little hut and gathered up what I thought I might need; a couple of sunrods, my small mirror, shackles, and backpack and then grumpily pushed open the door and stepped out into the rain.

A huge raindrop fell from the roof and hit me right on the bridge of my nose. I signed and looked up at the offended spot cross-eyed and groaned. Today was starting off delightfully.

The town seemed to be more abuzz than it usually was. People were dashing back and forth looking hurried and frantic. The earth rippled under my feet again and I looked up at Mount.. erm.. oosuubama or whatever the locals call it and saw the reason why. Dotting the sides of the volcano were vents of ash spewing into the air; this thing was about to blow out.

I felt my heart begin to race in my chest as I looked around for Katarina. I saw her out of the corner of my eye helping a couple out of their home and carrying some of their belongings to one of the boats that was moored in the harbor. I took my twins cue and began helping some of the more elderly with their belongings, taking what I could for them and getting them aboard their little junks.

I’d been dealing with a string of thefts over the past few weeks and was no closer in my investigation to finding out who was behind it or recovering the stolen items. This chaos was a prime opportunity for looters to sneak in and lift valuables from the villagers – some who looked to desperately need every copper piece they had.

In the mix, I lost track of Katarina. I figured she was in another part of the village ushering people toward their boats. When I finally got to the beach, amidst the people rushing past me to get to ships, I peered around and saw a swath of red hair run off into the treeline of the jungle. I noticed a catperson and a man break off and give chase to her. I moved with them.

We ran through the jungle for a bit and I watched my sister run out to a secluded beach, shouting to a couple of men. She had her arms full of stolen property from the village. I was dumbstruck. I mean, I know she’s the one always plotting and scheming, but still.. that’s a life for some poor villager. I did the first thing that came to mind; I ran out from the trees and flying tackled her to the ground.

Rocks whistled overhead while I struggled to get her under control. I finally had to chain her up while making sure that she wasn’t harmed by her arrow-slinging friend. I dodged a couple of his arrows as I pulled myself out of the sand and before I knew it, my swords were in my hands. I remember closing in on him and finally slicing him up one side and down the other. For good measure, I got the upper half of his longbow right across the left side of my face. I knocked his ass out with the hilt of my sword, threw my swords into the sand, pulled my own longbow, knocked an arrow and screamed a warning to the man the catwoman was keeping busy with feeble swipes.

After ignoring me, I filled his back with arrows. I collected the spilled items from in front of my sister, put them in my cloak and gathered everyone onto the little junk ship that was tied into the sand. I chained Katarina on deck and tied up her longbow-wielding friend and then jumped into the water to dislodge the boat. The catwoman was…not a help in this. I ended up pushing the boat free and tossing her on deck before sailing out to sea.

The seas got increasingly more violent over the next couple of days. Between the rain, winds and erupting volcano, life has been just peachy. Did I mention that I am now the caretaker of an overgrown cat, some kind of shape shifting spirit shaman, two women who I can barely understand and a heretic? Sometimes I think that just staying in bed would have been more preferable. But, I’m getting ahead of myself.

Damnit. I’m running out of ink and paper. I’ll go and bother the cat.. Zee.. something or other. She has paper and ink.