Chapter Text
A cart bumped across a dusty mountain road, jostling the passengers- and the driver.
That driver was a spectacled, friendly-looking orc.
And those passengers were an earth genasi with messy hair, a good-natured halfling, a relaxed half-orc, and a dwarf tuning a lute.
“Mr. Dwarf, I should ask, what’s your name?” The orc inquired.
“Ostin,” the dwarf replied. “Ostin Tashe.”
“Nice to meet you, Ostin, I’m Euph.”
After a brief pause, Euph picked up the thread of (awkward) conversation again.
“Let me ask you a question, Ostin. What’s the best advice you’ve ever heard?”
“Hmm…” Ostin considered for a moment. “Just because you can play a lute doesn’t mean you can’t stab things.” He finally said.
“Oh..wise?” It came out like a question.
“I said that,” the half-orc offered.
“Yes, you did.” Ostin said.
“You can call me Leonard, by the way.” The half-orc said in his even, accented voice.
“He wants to be called that?” The genasi whispered.
“So, Leonard,” Eugh said loudly before an argument could start, “I’ve been wondering. What’s your life’s ambition?”
“Life’s ambition?” Leonard pulled out a knife and tossed it up in the air, deftly catching it- causing everyone but Ostin to tense up. “Not sure I have one of those.”
“You’ll figure it out one day,” Ostin said confidently.
“Thank you, Ostin.”
“Would you like a stick of gum?” Euph asked.
Leonard glanced at the pile of gum in the orc’s hand.
“Why not?” He grabbed two pieces of gum and passed one to Ostin. “Cheers.”
Euph turned to the genasi, who was now sharpening a small handaxe. “And what’s your name?”
“Oh, I’m Bo.”
“Well, I just have to know. Would you rather be a tiny tiger, or a giant hummingbird?”
“Hmm. Hummingbird, I think.”
“The tiger would be much stealthier,” Leonard objected.
Euph sidestepped what was quickly becoming a debate between the two and turned to the halfling, who was staring with a mixture of amusement and exasperation at the others.
“What’s your name?” He asked her, praying for a bit of sanity.
“My name is Marcy,” she said, smiling warmly.
“What’s your favorite condiment, Marcy?”
“Salt,” she replied. “Did you know that most adult humanoids have enough salt in their body to fill three salt shakers?”
“No, I didn’t. Would you like some gum?”
“Oh, no. I’m fine.”
Suddenly, the cart jolted sharply, throwing Marcy onto the road.
“Darn it!” Euph said, staring in dismay at the twisted ankle of his auroch, Pox. “This always happens.”
“Do your trips always end in disaster?” Marcy asked, dusting herself off.
“I just never get the hang of it..” Euph sighed.
Marcy leaned down and muttered arcane words, healing the auroch.
“I’ll go get the wheel!” Bo called, disappearing around the side of the cart.
A goblin walked around the bend.
“Having trouble?” He raised an eyebrow.
“Yes, actually.” Leonard said. “Are you offering help?”
“Well, I’ve got this.” He opened his hand to show a multitool. “I’m Bezzler, by the way.”
“Did he just say his name is Embezzler?” Marcy whispered.
Bo lifted her shoulders in a shrug as she hefted the wheel.
“Hey, Ostin! Bring that tool over here and help me out!” She called.
Ostin snatched the tool and went about repairing the wheel.
“Got it!” He said after a moment.
“Great, I’ll take my tool back then?” Bezzler asked.
“I, um, don’t have it anymore?” Ostin lied poorly.
“You just had it,” Bezzler said flatly.
Leonard rolled his eyes and put his arm around Ostin, quickly grabbing the tool from him and tucking it away with his free hand.
“Bezzler, I can with good faith tell you that my friend here does not have your multitool.” Leonard lied much more skillfully.
Bezzler narrowed his eyes. “Okay then.” He reached out for a handshake with Ostin and pat Leonard on the back.
He had a similar interaction with Marcy. When he reached Bo, however, she shoved him away.
“What're you playing at?!” She demanded.
“Bo, calm down,” Marcy soothed.
“I will not calm down! He stole from us!”
“What?!” Ostin exclaimed.
Leonard glowered at Bezzler, who backed up and started running.
Fast as lightning, Leonard threw a dagger at the retreating goblin.
“Yikes!” Bezzler yelled as if narrowly missed him.
Leonard cursed as he watched Bezzler run out of range.
…
“We can’t really…pay you,” Leonard told Euph apologetically.
Euph just gave him a look that suggested he heard that a lot. “Would you like a stick of gum?” He asked.
“Er..no.”
The cart sped off, leaving the four of them standing in front of Boulderay's main gate.
“How do we wanna get through?” Bo asked.
“I have an idea,” Marcy said dryly as she reached up and knocked on the gate.
“Oh, just a moment!” A voice called.
The gate swung open to reveal a guard with a distinctly gnomish look about him.
“Sorry about that! I'm Grattle.”
Ostin squinted at the gnome. “What's with your nose?”
Leonard quickly smacked Ostin on the back of the head. “Manners, Ostin.”
“And besides,” Grattle said hurriedly, “it's a perfectly normal nose!”
“Suure.” Bo said. “I believe that.”
“If I were you, I'd head to the Thrown Gauntlet Tavern.”
Grattle then led them to said tavern, giving them some spiel about the mayor along the way.
“Why don't you guys head in?” Grattle suggested.
Marcy eyed the crowd outside the doors warily. “It's a bit…loud.”
She winced as a particularly loud, whistling burst of colored light streaked into the sky. Bo scowled and muscled her way through the crowd.
“Would you keep it down?!” She demanded.
The blue-haired elf at the center of the crowd took a nervous step back before recovering himself.
“Who dares challenge the great and powerful Brink Tussler?!” He demanded.
“Me,” Bo replied, crossing her arms.
“Who are you?”
“I'm Bo Bender, and right now I'm the one telling you to shut up.”
“What, too loud for you and..” He glanced over at the other three, “your friends?”
“Yes, actually.”
“Oh, well in that case…yeah, I still don't care.”
Bo growled as Marcy walked up and put a hand on her arm.
“I don't mean to be nasty, but-”
“He's insulting us, Marcy! Get nasty!” Bo interrupted.
Brink watched all of this, smirking. “Care for a challenge, then?”
“What kind of challenge? Can I just beat you into the ground with my hammer?”
“Er…no.” He snapped his fingers, causing a magical circle to appear on the ground. “I'm thinking…first to get knocked out of the circle loses?”
“Works for me!” Bo said, heating her hammer.
“And whaddya say we make things a little more interesting? Winner gets…ten gold pieces!”
“Deal!”
“Bo,” Leonard said, waving her over, “you don't have ten gold.”
“It's fine. Watch this.”
Bo stepped inside the circle. “Go on, then.” She said confidently.
Brink grinned. An invisible force shoved Bo out of the circle as Brink burst out laughing.
She tucked her messy hair back into her bandana, face flushed.
“Ten gold, please!” Brink said.
“Um…I don't really…”
“Ten gold, please,” Brink demanded.
“Um…freeze?” Ostin asked, imbuing his words with arcane energy.
Brink stiffened like a board. Leonard poked the elf and watched with an expression of mild interest as he tipped over sideways.
“Well,” Leonard said pleasantly, “he's not in the circle now.”
“Wow, that actually worked! Now let's go go go before he regains feeling in his limbs!” Ostin rushed away.
A gnome poked his head out of the bushes.
“Wow,” Grattle said, “impressive.”
“Were you stalking us?” Bo asked.
“Kind of? Come with me, the mayor wants to see you!”
“Er…okay.” Marcy shrugged and followed Grattle.
…
“Wow,” Ostin said as they pushed open the door to the mayor's office.
Everything was rather fancy, with parlor palms and velvety couches. As the other three looked around, Marcy stood listening to the dragonborn assistant talk about coffee with the expression of people everywhere who have become trapped in a conversation due to their own politeness.
Grattle ushered them into the office before ripping off his false nose.
“I'm not sure if you realized, but it was me! Mayor Prattle!”
“Wow, really?” Leonard asked flatly.
“Really! And I think you all have what it takes to be Infinight Interns!”
“Well that's nice to hear,” Marcy said.
“The Infinights have been putting us on the map! It's been rough going since our mining industry closed down, but they've really been a big help!”
“And what exactly would we be doing?” Ostin inquired.
“Oh, it's great! You'd get to travel to incredible places and learn how to become great heroes.”
“I'm in!” Ostin practically shouted.
“Does that go for everyone?” The mayor inquired.
“I'm in if Ostins's in,” Leonard shrugged.
“Why not?” Bo replied.
“Sounds great,” Marcy said.
“In that case…I have a secret to tell you.” Prattle said, leaning in. “The Infinights…are missing.”