Chapter Text
You review your notes on Protector while on the final shift of night watch;
When I’d asked Protector of their origins they said they didn’t remember, which considering they couldn’t even remember their name lines up with their current story.
I am still wary of their reasons for joining the party.
They had said ‘sure, I don’t have anything else to do’ in response to an invitation to what is a potential suicide mission.
They said they didn’t know who The King was and were unaware of the country freezing in time.
When I’d asked them the question of what species they were they shrunk in on themself and said they didn’t remember the name.
They were also unaware of what sadnesses were called.
They have been very active in the past 2 days since joining the group.
They are almost always doing something.
This includes; hunting, gathering, scouting, and being on the watch for sadnessess.
For some reason whenever asking what they can do they come to me.
Perhaps they think I am the leader of the group?
Either way their behavior is strange.
They will always come up and ask ‘what can I do to help, Madame Odile’
I’ve yet to figure out how they eat as they always turn away from the group before eating.
“What can I do to help, Madame Odile?”
You jump slightly as Protector interrupts your thoughts with their still gravelly voice. (They had mentioned they weren’t used to talking, is the rawness of their voice a byproduct of that?)
“I’ll take care of morning preparations, Protector.”
They seem to frown at that. (Despite the lack of a mouth.)
“Are you sure?”
You turn to them. They look like they haven’t slept in days. (Though you’re unsure if that’s just how they are.)
“Yes, you look like you could use the extra rest.”
You turn and begin to get what you need to make breakfast.
A tentacle appears with a pan.
You sigh and take it.
Protector helps you make breakfast. You then lead the group towards where the third orb was said to have landed.
You find yourselves in front of a decrepit castle on the top of a hill.
“Well!” Isabeau moves in front of you and approaches the castle.
“Wait.” You stop him, “This place could be trapped like the temple was.”
“I forgot about that.” he says plainly.
“I could deal with them.” Protector says.
You turn to them, “You know how to disarm traps?”
“I think so.”
“Well I haven’t the faintest clue as to how to disarm a trap, and unless one of you two have learned something since our last encounter with traps,” You gesture to the other two of your party, “You can lead the way Protector.”
They walk through the rotted gate and extend their upper tentacles, much longer and thinner than usual, but if your theory that they are made of craft is correct (Which seems to be correct,) then it would make sense how they could grow and shrink.
The courtyard is empty, but you can hear the cry of a sadness coming from within the building.
Protector gestures for you all to move to the side as they stand to the side of the doorway and open it with one of their tentacles before slowly moving forward and testing the floor and walls ahead of them with their tentacles.
You quickly reach a fork and Protector looks to you. (Why?)
“Left.” They hold out a hand to stop you all and they stretch out their tentacles and test the floor before moving forward and gesturing for you all to follow.
“What happens if you trigger a trap?” Mirabelle asks Protector.
“We figure out where it is.” They say blankly, clearly focused on what they are doing.
They hold up a hand, “Trip wire.” They back up and put themself flat to the wall and gesture for you all to do the same.
They then apply some craft to themself (They seem to droop a little as they do?) and pull the trip wire with their tentacle.
Arrows fly from the walls in front and slightly behind the trip wire, Protector quickly retracts their tentacle but an arrow catches it, pinning the thin appendage to the wall, allowing another arrow to hit it.
“Protector!” Mirabelle and Isabeau yell at the same time as the move to help Protector.
“I’m alright.” They move to their tentacle stuck to the wall and just pull out the arrows, not even flinching.
“You are not ‘alright,’ you just got hit by two arrows.” You point out to them as their darkless blood leaks from their tentacle.
“No one got hurt.” They say shortening the appendage and lengthening the other.
Isabeau looks concernedly at them, “Uh, buddy, I’m no expert but it looks like you got hurt. Mira, can you heal them?”
Mirabelle nods and moves to heal their tentacle and they go stone still as the wounds close.
“Next time don’t trigger the trap.” You tell them, “Just tell us where not to go.”
They shrink in on themself as Mirabelle backs away, “I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright.” (Though you will be taking note of them saying ‘No one got hurt’.)
You all continue through the castle, Protector telling you where traps are as you try to find where the orb had landed.
Though that mystery is solved when you come into a large room that has a gaping hole in the ceiling.
Though there is also a large sadness moving around and juggling the orb along with some skulls, it’s strange, gnarled limbs and flat hands bending in strange ways as the humanoid sadness sobs.
“Alright, so-”
Isabeau starts to talk but is interrupted as Protector rushes forward and slashes at the sadness with a craft attack weaker than you expected, but it seems to take Protector more effort than an attack of that level should.
You take out your book and prepare for a hard fight.