Sylvia listened to what Ferric and Shortfang had to say. When Pylia whispered in her ear, she nodded her agreement with her, and she whispered back, "I agree. But for now, I think I have a better idea for Shortfang, in case we get attacked," She then turned her attention to Shortfang, and she suggested, "Actually, Shortfang. I think you're the only one among us who can use a bow. You should ride in the cart, that way you'll have a good place for cover and you can fire at any attackers easier," She then addressed all of the party, "I'll walk beside the cart. I can be pretty stealthy and I have a pretty good feeling about my own mobility today. So, I can act as a scout if we need someone to scout ahead,"

Pylia seemed surprised at your statement. Shortfang seemed a bit hesitant. "Ooookay, you the boss." Shortfang nods as he gets into the back of the cart. Pylia patted you on the shoulder. "Don't get too hasty now. If you need a break don't be afraid to switch off with me. Oh, and here. I managed to brew up another potion yesterday, it finished settling this morning. Just in case we need it." Pylia handed you a small clay bottle, presumably filled with the healing potion. Afterwards Pylia also got into the wagon. Now that you're fully awake, fed, and limber, you do indeed feel notable stronger. You realize that all your life you have been coasting along as if you were in a dream. Suddenly, facing the trials of the last few days, you have come alive.

Soon a new shift moved out for the guards, and the gates opened. By now quite a few other caravans and adventurers had already stirred, awakened, and made their preparations to leave. Once you and the others settled out, you were not alone. The sun was rising in the horizon to greet the new day and so the party left. For the first few hours things were quite peaceful, there was even company. A caravan consisting largely of orcs traveled with you for a while. They weren't heading for Gransys but did mention having a shop there, and offered some advice about how to deal with other orcs on your journey. Namely, never be meek. Respect and strength are one of the same for them, so trying to be passive or submissive is a quick way to earn their ire. Be aggressive and stand your ground even when you're outnumbered. Orcs may not be honorable, but they understand force. Shortly after they'd split ways, leaving your caravan with only themselves as company.

About three hours in and the sun was high how, and the crew was still near the ocean. However everyone could see roaring storm clouds in the distance, and occasionally even hear a crack of thunder. Shortfang and Pylia vigilantly kept watch when you notice something in the distance; the ruins of a stone building. You remember Dirk mentioning that this was one of the locations where the Iron Hammer operated out of. It was a fair bit away from the road you traveled, but still in clear sight. There was hardly any cover to hide behind if there was anyone at the stone ruins.

Sylvia noted the surprise and hesitancy in Pylia and Shortfang. Uh oh, did she do something wrong? She didn't hurt their feelings did she? She looked to Pylia and listened to what she had to say. She accepted the healing potion and she answered her, "Thank you, Pylia. I'll be careful," She then asked her friend, "You and Shortfang looked surprised. I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

After Pylia and Shortfang hopped into the wagon, Sylvia walked beside them. She did think that how she felt right now was so strange. She felt alive! She felt capable of taking on whatever Keratia had to throw at her and her friends. Life back home was easy, but definitely dead. Especially when it seems as though everyone is stuck to staring at least one screen for hours on end.

To her surprise they actually did have company in the form of another caravan. She was grateful to the advice regarding how to talk to orcs. She knows that she's not the most intimidating presence, so she was a bit nervous about the time when they do meet other orcs.

Soon enough, they come upon the first ambush point. When she first noticed the stone building, she jogged up to next to Ferric and she warned him, "Ferric, stop the cart. We're coming up on the Iron Hammer Bandits' first ambush point,"

Ferric nodded and stopped the cart. "That stone building up ahead? Barely looks like it'll stand up to a swift breeze. But I'll follow your lead Sylvia." Pylia and Shortfang leaned over and listened in. "What's the plan Sylvia? The area here is mostly flat, we could try to go off the road and put some distance between us and the ruins. It'll be slow going but we don't need to risk ourselves if we don't have to." Pylia suggested. Shortfang squinted as he looked towards the building. "Ugh. Sunlight no good for Shortfang... But can fight still. Maybe we ambush? Bad guys never expect ambush ambush!" Shortfang said with a grin as he loaded a bolt into his crossbow.

Sylvia walked up to Pylia and Shortfang, and she answered Pylia, "At first, I was thinking that I would sneak ahead and see if anyone is actually there or not before we continue on. But your idea sounds like a better plan, Pylia,"

Pylia nods in agreement. “We shouldn’t split the party. We could either scout or go around, though I do though I do think scouting is a good idea. The grass on the outskirts are tall enough for us to sneak through if we’re careful.”

Sylvia answered after thinking over Pylia's words for a bit, "Let's go around. As you said, we shouldn't split the party, but I don't think it would be wise to leave Ferric and Mica alone either," She had a feeling that if they were left alone, then both dwarves would be sitting ducks.

Pylia and everyone else agreed. While they were certainly stronger now, it was best if they could avoid combat instead of taking their chances. Ferric directed the mules off the road, going a fair bit a ways away from the stone building. Even during this clear calm before the storm, it was hard to make out any details of the ruins. It was made of stone and slightly bigger than it seemed from the angle they saw it from, but it was impossible to see who might be over there. Fortunately nothing seemed to go after the group as they passed the stone building.

Once they were in the clear Ferric got back onto the road and continued on wards. However taking that detour ate up quite a bit of time and soon the party could feel some raindrops fall on them. "Ah damn." Pylia cursed quietly as she pulled her hood up from her cloak. Ferric grimaced. "It's unfortunate, but nothing we can do about it. We'll just have to keep on moving. Son, get me my cloak please." Soon everyone cloaked up in preparation of the coming storm. And in the distance the party could see a hill in the distance, with a large tree at the very top.

When the rain started pouring, Sylvia at first tried to improvise and used her backpack as a way to cover her head from the rain. It made for a somewhat goofy sight, and eventually she decided to just walk in the rain, until she either got a cloak from someone or found one.

When they spotted the hill with the large tree, Sylvia informed the party, "Guys, that hill's another ambush point for the Iron Hammer Bandits. If we can go around again, I highly suggest we do so,"

You would find something off as the rain started to pour. While everyone else was getting quite soaked, water seemed to just slip off your dress. Even your skin and hair didn't feel wet as the rain just slipped off your body, never really soaking anything. Even as you stepped through the mud in your boots, nothing stuck. It seemed that somehow water just didn't bother you. Very strange.

As you mentioned the hill Ferric grimaced. "Unfortunately, we need to follow this road to reach the camp. Short of running off the cliff and into the ocean, this is the only path heading towards the camp. Maybe... If we move fast enough, we'll be able to avoid the bandits?" Ferric asked the other two. Pylia shivered underneath her cloak and shook her head. "If you had horses, m-m-maybe, but your mules can't possibly hustle fast enough." Shortfang's eyes notable seemed less strained once the rain clouds covered the sun. He licked his lips as he raised his crossbow and shortsword. "Shortfang think get ready to fight! Clear path, go through easy." He looked to the other two eagerly.

When Sylvia noticed that the water wasn't staying on her person, she experimented a bit by waving her hand and seeing if the rain was avoiding her hand as it moved. It was so weird, and yet so strange. Now that she recalled, Ferric did say that her ring was a water walking ring...was the ring why the water was acting this way around her?

As of now, she focused on the situation at hand. Sylvia sighed and she answered reluctantly, "Let's continue on then. But be ready for a fight," She then looked at Pylia in concern, wondering if she'll be okay. She had heard that remaining soaked for too long does not do anything good for anyone's health.

Steeling themselves, the group traveled onward and upwards through the hill. The wheels of the cart groaned as it churned through the mud, and the mules struggled to haul the entirely of the cargo upwards. Pylia was right; there was no way these beasts could possibly have forced their way up this hill in this weather. The group just reached the peek when a woman called out to them. "HELP! PLEASE, SOMEONE HELP! MY FAMILY IS BEING ATTACKED BY BANDITS!" Shortfang was already on his feet and hopped out of the wagon to go, however Pylia grabbed your shoulder and shouted after the kobold. "Wait dammit! This could be a trap!"

Once they reached the peak, Sylvia was startled to hear the scream calling for help. Shortfang had already hopped out of the cart. Before Sylvia could move to act, she felt Pylia's hand on her shoulder. After hearing Pylia's words, which made a valid point, Sylvia looked towards the source of the voice, and took in the woman's appearance. The woman appeared to be genuinely hurt, and didn't seem to be trying to cause a distraction.

She looked to Pylia, and she told her, "Pylia. She's hurt, and she's not trying to cause a distraction!" She then looked towards Shortfang and the woman, and then back to Pylia, "Brace yourself. I can't just leave that woman be," Especially since Dirk had told her what the Iron Bandits do to women...

She then moved towards the scene, calling after Shortfang, "Shortfang, don't hurt the woman! Look for the bad guys with weapons!"

She was going to move to the woman, and see if she can help her back to Ferric's cart.

“Ah dammit!” Pylia cursed as she strapped her shield on and ran after you. The woman looked young, younger than you, but very frighten. “We have to hurry they already killed my father! It’s only my father and baby brother left!” But before you could go much further, an arrow flew through the air and struck the girl right into the back. She screamed in pain and fell onto the ground as laughter could be heard over the rain.

“Was wondering who you were screaming for! Looks like we got. Harness boys! Woooooooh!” A deranged man shouted and soon was joined by a cacaphon of screams, with five more men joining in armed with swords and crossbows. Pylia took her club out and snarled. “They must be the bandits! Let’s deal with them quickly and we can try and save that family!” Shortfang just let out a terrifying roar, almost like a dragon despite his tiny body.

Roll for imitative!

Before Sylvia could even say anything to reassure the girl, or even get her to the safety of the cart, she was shot by an arrow. Shocked by the sight before her, she looked up to see the laughter. Anger swelled within her own heart, and she let out a growl of her own. Spinning her own staff in her hand, in anticipation of the battle ahead, she nodded in agreement with Pylia, and she too shouted just as Shortfang gave his own roar.

In a blink of an eye she already charged at one of the bandits, the one who was holding a crossbow. She swung her quarterstaff at the bandit in an attempt to clock him in the head, before trying to kick the man in the gut.

The brigands, confident they could take on the two women and the kobold, readied their weapons to take them down. Alive, for nefarious purposes. However just as the lead bandit took out a bolt to load his bowgun you were already upon him in a flash. He didn't even see you coming as your staff cracked him across the skull, the sound of bones breaking under neath the hardwood. He let out a bloody gasp before you kicked him in the gut, knocking him sprawling back with a broken skull, three broken ribs, and a punctured lung. The laughter stopped seeing you swiftly take down one of the bandits.

^Protect the Faithful!^ Once more a shimmering aura appeared around you as Pylia warded you with protective magics, as Pylia herself joined the fray. "Vile hereatics, burn!" Raising her warclub at one of the crossbow armed brigand, Pylia shouted out her magic words once more. ^Summon Holy Fire!^ The unsuspecting brigand looked at Pylia before he was engulfed in flames. Not even the rain soaking his body would do anything to quench these radiant fires. As he screamed and vainly tried to put the flames out, Shortfang ran up alongside Pylia and fired a bolt right into the neck of the brigand. He gurgled his dying words as he feel face first into the mud, just as the flames receded. "You die now!" He shouted to the brigands.

The remaining three steeled themselves for battle. One with a crossbow took out a horn and blew it, creating a very loud and deep bellow that was responded with by another bellow not too far. The other two bandits then converged onto you, seeing that you were the closest and current the biggest threat. Unlike the goblins who attacked with mostly fury, these bandits handled their swords with more skill. The first came with a blow aimed for your head, but then he expertly feinted into a cut across your body. Or it would have, had the protective barrier that Pylia put onto you hadn't deflected the blow. The brigand looked so confident as his blade slashed across your body, however not even a single thread on your outfit was harmed. The second tried to flank with his ally and made a much more predictable strike towards your arm, which you were able to defend yourself from easily after the failed attack from the first.

Sylvia was too angry at the bandits to even realize what she had just done. She moved her arm out of the path of the last strike with ease. She realized that the horn was probably for reinforcements. She called to her friends in warning, “They called for reinforcements!”

She then swung her staff at one of the bandits. After that, she smirked and took her chance. She kneed the same Bandit in between his legs.

The bandit you struck in the gonads seizes up in pain. "Gah! You bloody bitch!" He shouts in pain. Meanwhile Pylia rushed the brigand armed with a crossbow. ^Reinforce!^ Just as she shouted this, her warclub was covered in a strange blue lines as Pylia smashed her club into the man's arm, breaking bones. Meanwhile the bandit you smashed goes to swing his sword at your face, but his body goes stiff. Shortfang had jumped right into the man and plunged the shortsword you gave him into the man's neck, dragging him to the ground before rolling away, leaving the shortsword in the man's neck. With a hand free Shortfang loads another bone-tipped crossbow bolt into his bowgun and fired it at the brigand that Pylia attacked, his arrow going right into the man's ear and into his brain. "Gotcha!"

The lone brigand was nervous now, but steeled himself. reinforcements will arrive, he just needs to do some damage! In a blind flurry he took a swing at you, but in this chaos you were calm yet furious, easily able to avoid his panicked attack as the sword sailed through empty air. "Shit! Dammit, just die already! DIE!"

She gave a quick 'Thanks' to Shortfang as he had just saved her from another attack by the bandit she had kneed. She watched as Shortfang then made quick work of the other bandit that Pylia struck. Sylvia's attention finally turned towards the last bandit as he tried to attack her in a panic. After she simply side stepped to avoid the attack, she told the last bandit, "You should have surrendered,"

After saying those words, she attempted to strike the bandit with the quarterstaff, before attempting a roundhouse kick to the bandit's ribs.

The brigand brought his blade up to parry the staff strike, creating a small notch in the staff, but this left his body opened for a rib shot. As he winced in pain Pylia ran up behind him and slammed her club right at the base of his skull, spiking him to the ground dead. "And stay down." She says quietly. However there was no time to celebrate. Shortfang came back pulling the shortsword out from the dead brigand and pointed down the path. "Shortfang see people coming. More bad guys! We should hide!" At the top of the hill was the tree and a few rocks, which were close enough for Shortfang to run and hide behind. Pylia nods and looks at you. "They're definitely going to be coming here, so let's take advantage of that and find some cover." Afterwards she goes to duck behind a rock. She wasn't very well hidden but she was at least out of sight, for a moment.